ICY DOCK Asia

Icy games: Uncharted: Golden Abyss Review: Drake's triumphant outing is Vita's best launch game Review Drake returns for a little big adventure

2012-02-17T15:18:00.000+08:00

So there are two ways to look at Uncharted: Golden Abyss. You could see it as the one Naughty Dog isn't making, with the absence of the series' regular developer signalling the cynical exploitation of the Uncharted franchise, a lack of top-level investment in PS Vita, and the end of Western civilisation as we know it. That's a valid view - Nintendo brings its big boys out to play on 3DS. Why aren't Sony's A-team getting involved?

The other way to look at it is as the one that still stars Nolan North as Nathan Drake, the presence of the game's charismatic star highlighting the fact that the groundbreaking production practices initiated by Naughty Dog are still in place, that the game is as character and story-focused as ever. And you're still in for a hell of a ride...full review to computerandvideogames.com

Icy games: Darksiders 2 release date confirmed THQ also announces a range of pre-order bonuses

2012-02-17T15:15:00.000+08:00

THQ has confirmed that Darksiders 2 will be out on Xbox 360 and PS3 on June 29 in UK.

The publisher also today confirmed a US release date of June 26 via its Twitter feed.

UK gamers who pre-order the game at GameStation or GAME (and GameStop in Ireland), are in for an extra treat - the 'Death Rides' pack. This free DLC gives you additional side-quests which let you "explore more of theMaker's Realm and Dead Plains and earn additional experience and loot. Aid an ancient Construct, battle The Bloodless and retrieve Karn's lost treasure in around two hours of unique game play content."

Amazon UK pre-orders get the 'Deadly Despair' pack. THQ explains: "This unique pre-order offer adds an additional speed boost for Death's trusty steed Despair, allowing players to travel across the vast world even faster than before. This perk is a permanent increase that will last throughout the game."

The 'Angel of Death' pack will also be available via a retailer that's yet to be decided. This one will give you a "unique set of enhanced armour with an angel inspired design as well as a pair of upgraded matching scythes and a exclusive visual trail for your companion crow Dust."

"Darksiders: The Abomination Vault", a new novel set a millennia before the events of the first game, will be released on the same day as Darksiders 2, THQ recently confirmed.

Source from computerandvideogames.com

Another cool game will release this year!! Just heard that THQ close Japan branch due to Fiancial problems, just hope THQ can overcome this difficulty!

Icy games: The 25 best PC games of 2012 Looks like it will be a vintage year for PC owners...

2012-02-17T15:04:00.000+08:00

PC gamers: it's time to brace yourself for what promises to be a rollercoaster ride in 2012. This year's roster of PC games is going to be simply monstrous in terms of both quality and quantity.

So you might want to invest in a new graphics card, and splash out on that flash gaming keyboard/mouse combo you've had your eye on. And perhaps have a word with your bank manager: 20-odd must-buys adds up to a pretty penny. These, then, are the upcoming PC games we're most stoked about - arranged in alphabetical order to avoid any suspicion of favouritism.

1. Alan Wake

Not before time, Remedy's third-person action-adventure, studded with plot-twists, surreal episodes and a heavy dose of horror is endowed with an agreeably intelligent storyline that would grace a best-selling psychological thriller. Thanks to Nordic Games, which picked up the PC game's publishing rights, its stunning Pacific Northwest landscapes will be lusher than ever, with the graphics cranked up to the max now that it has been unleashed on PC freed from the constraints of the consoles. It may not be all-new, but PC Alan Wake oozes quality... full review to computerandvideogames.com

Did your favorable games in this list of 2012? I think most gamers are waiting for Diablo 3 released this year...Because I am also looking forward to this game! How about your idea?

Icy news: OCZ Octane 1.13 Firmware Update: Improving 4KB Random Write Performance

2012-02-17T14:41:00.000+08:00

The one thing that OCZ has been missing for so many years is finally one of its staples: focus. The same company that dabbled in everything from brain mice to DIY notebooks is now almost exclusively an SSD company that peddles power supplies on the side. OCZ's penchant for aggressively trying new things hasn't faded away however. As an SSD maker, OCZ is currently or will in the near future, be shipping drives based on controllers from three different vendors - each with their own strengths. OCZ's relationship with SandForce continues and the Vertex 3remains OCZ's highest performing offering. A recent partnership with Marvell gives OCZ early experience with native PCIe based SSDs, experience that is extremely important as the industry marches towards a new PCIe based interface standard for SSDs (SATA Express). Finally there's OCZ's own controller, theIndilinx Everest, which it is quickly building momentum behind. It's obviously in OCZ's best interests to have its own controllers in the bulk of the drives it makes, but one doesn't simply build a better controller than everyone else on the first try...full review to Anand Tech

Icy news: LaCie 2big Thunderbolt Series Now Available

2012-02-17T14:35:00.000+08:00

LaCie showcased their 2big Thunderbolt drive at CES 2012 and it has now started shipping.

Specifications of LaCie 2big Thunderbolt Series
Capacities	4TB and 6TB (and 8TB)
Revolutions per minute (rpm)	7200rpm
Maximum Read Speed	327MB/s
Maximum Write Speed	320MB/s
Connectivity	2x Thunderbolt
Dimensions (WxHxD)	3.5" x 6.7" x 7.8" (9.1 x 17.2 x 20.0 cm)
Price	$649 (4TB) and $799 (6TB)

The LaCie 2big Thunderbolt Series is essentially the LaCie Little Big Disk in 3.5" form factor. It has two swappable 3.5" drives whereas the Little Big Disk has two 2.5" drives. 3.5" drives offer larger capacities and better performance, particularly with hard drive. The 2big is rated at transfer speeds up to 327MB/s while the Little Big Disk tops out at 190MB/s (both results are for the non-SSD versions). LaCie has an 8TB model on their site as well but there is no price listed, which suggests that it's not shipping yet.

There are also two Thunderbolt ports for daisy-chaining, so you can daisy-chain several 2bigs or other Thunderbolt devices. The 2big most likely uses the same SATA controller as the Little Big Disk, which means you are limited to two SATA 3Gb/s ports. For the standard configuration this isn't an issue, but people who are interested in swapping the hard drives for SSDs should be aware that the SATA controller will be a potential bottleneck with the fastest SATA 6Gb/s SSDs. Source from Anand Tech

Icy News: Hitachi Ultrastar SSD400M Enterprise SSD Review

2012-02-17T14:26:00.000+08:00

The Ultrastar SSD400M is Hitachi's effort to provide a serious contender in the burgeoning eMLC enterprise SSD space. The SSD400M offers all the pedigree that enterprise buyers could want, including not just Hitachi's longstanding leadership in the storage industry, but Intel's as well. The SSD400M leverages Intel's highest quality 25nm eMLC NAND and SSD processor technology, combined with Hitachi/Intel jointly engineered firmware. The resulting SSD400M carries Hitachi's brand name but is the result of a strong co-development effort.

Hitachi offers the 2.5" Ultrastar SSD400M with a 6.0Gb/s SAS interface and delivers throughput of up to 495 MB/s read, 385 MB/s write, 56,000 random 4K read IOPS and 24,000 random 4K write IOPS. In the enterprise though, it's not just about speed with SSDs, there's a larger total cost of ownership measurement at play too. Hitachi quotes 8,360 IOPS/watt, for those factoring in power consumption in their storage buying decision.

The SSD400M isn't just about performance though, Hitachi's engineering and qualification leads to an SSD that supremely reliable, with just a .44% annualized failure rate (2 million hour MTBF). From an endurance perspective the drive offers writes up to 7.3PB (400GB capacity), equivalent to 4TB of writers per day for five years, and unlimited reads. Other highlights include the T10 Data Integrity Field (DIF) standard, extended error correction code (ECC), Exclusive-OR (XOR) parity to protect against flash die failure, parity-checked internal data paths without an external write cache, and a power loss data management feature that does not require super-capacitors.

Hitachi offers the SSD400M in 200GB and 400GB capacities with optional TCG self-encryption and are backed by a five year warranty...full review to storagereview.com

Icy News: HP P4900 SSD Storage System Announced

2012-02-17T14:22:00.000+08:00

HP has announced the P4900 SSD G2 6.4-TB SSD Storage System, an all-solid state drive array, at its Global Partner Conference. HP’s new Storage System is a part of the company's LeftHand Network P4000 family.The P4900 uses SAN/iQ 9.5 software to monitor the health of the SSD called the HP SMARTSSD Wear Gauge. It has been integrated into the P4000 management console, which gives IT administrators the ability to see how much more remaining life an SSD has as well as alerts that predict drive outages and failures.

All-flash arrays are useful in virtual desktop and online transaction processing (OLTP) database environments because they allow millions of I/O per second to avoid boot storms. It also provides fast access to data allowing organizations to make decisions more efficiently.

The P4900 is available in two configurations: a two-node bundle of SSDs with a 6.4-TB storage capacity, and a one-node expansion with a 3.2-TB storage capacity. The new storage system uses 400GB multi-level cell SSDs with a serial attached SCSI interface, has 12GB of RAM, and uses hot-swappable power supplies. Additionally, the P4900 has four RAID controllers with 2,048 MB of battery-backed cache, which connects to the network with four 10GbE or 1GbE network ports. The P4900 supports RAID 5, 6, and 10.

With the addition of a P4000 G2 unified NAS gateway, the P4900 can support a common internet file system and network file system traffic. The 6.4TB P4900 is available for $199,000 and the expansion unit is priced at $105,000.

Full HP P4900 Specs:

Drive Description - (8) SFF SSD Supported
Drive Type - (8) 400 GB MLC SAS Solid State Drive
Capacity - 3.2TB Starting, 102.4TB Maximum
Storage Expansion Options - Use storage clustering capability and add the same P4900 G2 node into the SAN.
Host Interface - 10 GbE (2) Ports, 1 GbE iSCSI (2) Ports
Supported Operating Systems
- Apple OS X
- Citrix XenServer
- HP-UX
- IBM AIX
- Microsoft Windows 2003
- Microsoft Windows 2008
- Novell NetWare
- Oracle Enterprise Linux
- Red Hat Linux
- Oracle Solaris
- SUSE Linux
- VMware
- All major operating systems and hyper visors are supported.
Clustering Support - Hyper-redundant clustered storage
Availability
- Redundant, hot plug power supplies
- redundant fans
- redundant, hot plug hard drives, integrated storage controller with battery-backed DDR2 cache
- disk RAID 5
- hyper-redundant clustered storage: Network RAID levels (per volume) 0,5,6,10,10+1, and 10+2 for up to four copies of your data allows data to remain available in the event of a disk, controller, storage node, power, network, or site failure.
Thin Provisioning Support
SAN/iQ Thin Provisioning
Snapshot Support
SAN/iQ Application Integrated Snapshots
Replication Support
SAN/iQ Remote Copy Asynchronous Replication with Bandwidth Throttling
Multi-Site/Disaster Recovery Solution Pack with SAN/iQ Synchronous Replication
Smart Clone
SAN/iQ SmartClone
Management
Centralized Management Console, HP ProLiant Integrated Lights-Out 2 Remote Management, Baseboard Mgmt Controller IPMI 2.0 Source from storagereview.com

The 3.5" HDD shortage starts recovering slowly, the price may not go back to pre-flood phase soon. Even though 2.5" probably rise its price but still lower than SSD's. Through new technology of SSD and provide a cost-effective prices for people and enterprise, SSD gets the good opportunity to develop the market from this year. Just read the news of HP developing customerized SSD storage, HP is focus on the market of SSD! How do you imagine SSD market for following year?

Icy games: The Darkness 2 Review

2012-02-09T10:18:00.000+08:00

During the six hours it takes to complete The Darkness II you rip men in half, pop off their heads like a child pulling the lid off a felt-tip, slash off their legs, rip their spines from their bodies, and tear out their hearts as they watch. And these are the tame executions. (There's one horrifying kill called 'Assecution' where your tentacles enter a man through his... look, it's one of the most disgusting things. Ever.)

And that's The Darkness II's thing. Violence. It revels in vicious, virtual gore like no other shooter of this console generation. The once-moody, character-led shooter Starbreeze created has gone to a new developer (the aptly named Digital Extremes) and been transformed into a stylish bloodbath. However, that's no bad thing. Although this sequel definitely lacks the nuanced storytelling of its predecessor, it swaps the gentle moments of the first game for relentless horror and grizzly action...Full review to computerandvideogames.com

Icy Dock: The 15 finest dungeon games

2012-02-09T10:16:00.002+08:00

2011 may have been a dire year for everything else, but it was a corking one for dungeons. What better place to escape the woes of economic meltdown than somewhere dank, dark, foetid and virtual, populated by rats, bats, giant spiders, reanimated skeletons and copious demons, and studded with treasure chests? For dungeon-divers, it was a vintage year.

So, we thought it would be fun to share with you our favourite games for dungeon-trawling, starting with the most recent ones before working our way back through the annals of dungeon history.

1. Dark Souls

From Software's fearsomely hard opus, with its refusal to compromise in any manner whatsoever, has rightly been hailed as one of the finest RPGs ever. And more or less the whole game is one big dungeon - it begins with your character locked in a cell, and every building in the game is made from moss-encrusted, dripping grey virtual stone. If you're looking for the definition of a proper RPG, Dark Souls is it - any true aficionado of dungeons will tell you that. And that, when you're playing it, you die roughly as many times as in every game you've ever played before, all added together. Possibly the most enjoyable game ever - if you're a major-league masochist.

2. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

It's hard to think of a meatier or more epic game than Skyrim, and with more than 150 dungeons in the game, Bethesda was really spoiling us. They weren't just generic, either, plonked down to break the monotony of traversing lush, fertile countryside and meticulously designed towns. Oh no: the vast majority of them had keenly observed storylines, and offered sufficient rewards for us to become obsessed with visiting them all. Indeed, given Skyrim's overarching scope, you could probably spend an entire virtual lifetime checking them all out.

3. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Shigeru Miyamoto's latest opus may have only arrived in time for the Wii's death-throes, but by crikey, it was a mighty fine game. And most of the different areas of its game world had at least one dungeon to traverse. In true Zelda style, doing so mainly involved some wildly inventive puzzle-solving, coupled with taking out a vast array of enemies. But above all, mini-bosses and big bosses which really took some dispatching. Ambience-wise, Skyward Sword's dungeons may not be the most forbidding ones you'll come across. But take it from us: they're great fun to tramp around, and are deeply memorable...Full news to computerandvideogames.com

Icy News: A Look at Enterprise Performance of Intel SSDs

2012-02-09T10:09:00.000+08:00

Case Study: SSDs in AnandTech's Server Environment

For the majority of the history of AnandTech we've hosted our own server infrastructure. A benefit of running our own infrastructure is that we're able to gain a lot of hands on experience with enterprise environments that we'd otherwise have to report on from a distance.

When I first started covering SSDs four years ago I became obsessed with the idea of migrating nearly every system over to something SSD based. The first to make the switch were our CPU testbeds. Moving away from mechanical drives ensured better benchmark consistency between runs as any variation in IO load was easily absorbed by the tremendous amount of headroom that an SSD offered. The holy grail of course was migrating all of the AnandTech servers over to SSDs. Over the years our servers seem to die in the following order: hard drives, power supplies, motherboards. We tend to stay on a hardware platform until the systems start showing the signs of their age (e.g. motherboards start dying), but that's usually long enough that we encounter an annoying number of hard drive failures. A well validated SSD should have a predictable failure rate, making it an ideal candidate for an enterprise environment where downtime is quite costly and in the case of a small business, very annoying...Full review to Anand Tech

Icy News: Intel SSD 520 Review: Cherryville Brings Reliability to SandForce

2012-02-09T10:06:00.000+08:00

Intel was rumored to be working on a SandForce based drive for several months now, but even the rumors couldn't encapsulate just how long Intel and SF has worked on this drive. According to Intel, the relationship began 1.5 years ago. Still lacking a 6Gbps controller of their own and wanting to remain competitive with the rest of the market, Intel approached SandForce about building a drive based on the (at the time) unreleased SF-2281 controller. Roughly six months later, initial testing and validation began on the drive. That's right, around the time that OCZ was previewing the first Vertex 3 Pro, Intel was just beginning its extensive validation process.

Codenamed Cherryville, Intel's SSD 520 would go through a full year of validation before Intel would sign off on the drive for release. In fact, it was some unresolved issues that cropped up during Intel's validation that pushed Cherryville back from the late 2011 release to today...Full reviews at Anand Tech

Icy Dock review: MB994SP-4S

2012-02-09T09:51:00.000+08:00

Just about two months ago, we have completed a review of Icy Dock MB662USEB-2S; an incredible dual-bay FireWire 400/800 eSATA & USB Raid 3.5" HDD enclosure and today we are going to bring you another existing product from Icy Dock; MB994SP-4S. Icy Dock MB994SP-4S is not an external HDD enclosure but an internal multi-bay HDD RAID cage; able to support up to four 2.5" SATA/SSD/SAS HDDs.

ICY DOCK is a privately held company with more than 10 years being devoted in design, manufacturing, branding and distribution of Storage enclosure peripherals. By keep improving its own new product release process from previous toil experiences, ICY DOCK has formed a standard yet efficient new product development procedures to satisfy timely requirement from the market.

As one of the leading peripheral enclosure solution provider, we will continue to commit ourselves in supplying our customers the best performance per dollar products. "Your demand is our command" is the key to ensure our success in the business world.

Features

* Fits 4 x 2.5" SATA I / II / III and SAS HDD/SSD.
* Accommodates Drives with up to 15mm Height.
* Fits 4 Drives into a Single 5.25" Device Bay.
* Status LED on Front for Each Drive.
* Full Metal EZ Slide Mini Tray System with Full Cage Design.
* Small Form Factor Perfect for IPC, Servers, and Small Form Factor Cases.
* Front, Rear, Top, and Bottom Ventilation Slots.
* Dual 40mm Fans with Active Power Technology.
* Heavy Duty Full Metal Construction.
* Support SATA 6Gbps.
* Top Cover for the Tray Adds Extra Drive Protection... Full review to Hareware Bistro

ICY COMMENT: MB994SP-4S is 2.5" HDD/SSD/SAS for 4 bay enclosure in a 5.25" space, the size is efficiently save your PC case space and enlarge the capacity of your computer. Just no hesitate and contact our distributors right now to upgrade your computer!!

Icy News: Transcend SSD720 SATA 6.0Gb/s SSD Announced

2012-02-04T14:58:00.000+08:00

Transcend Information has announced the launch of its new, next generation SSD720 SATA III 6GB/s SSD. The SSD720 delivers significantly improved performance over standard rotating hard drives and its focus on productivity-enhancement is the ideal solution for demanding system applications, such as specialized multimedia computing and serious gaming.

Combined with a powerful SandForce-Driven controller and the latest SATA III 6Gb/s specification, the SSD720 offers speedy transfer rates of up to 550MB/s read and 500MB/s write, taking only 15 seconds to transfer a 5GB DVD. This enables faster system boot up, application launch speed, data transfers, and overall system responsiveness. Additionally, support for Native Command Queuing (NCQ) increases the performance and efficiency of the SSD720 by optimizing the order that received read and write commands are executed.

The SSD720’s design features a durable yet lightweight metal outer case and has a slim thickness of just 7mm, catering to the size limitations of today's modern Ultrabooks, notebooks, and other thin and light form factor devices. Despite its size, the 7mm SSD720 uses the same SATA connector used on a 2.5'' HDD and is backwards compatible with SATA II/I (3Gbps/1.5Gbps) interface. The SSD is also built with reliable NAND flash memory with no moving parts and provides resistance from shock and vibration, all the while offering low power consumption and cool, silent operation to resulting in increased efficiency and longer battery runtime.

For Windows 7 users, the SSD720 fully supports the TRIM command, which automatically, and permanently, removes deleted data, helping to maintain optimum write speeds and prevent long-term SSD wear. For other operating systems that do not support the TRIM command, the SSD720 uses an intelligent garbage collection algorithm to manage advanced free space. Built-in wear-levelling and Error Correction Code (ECC) help ensure reliable data transfer to further increase the lifespan of the SSD720. In addition, it fully supports the S.M.A.R.T. command, which helps detect possible hard drive failures before they occur.

Transcend's SSD720 is now available and is priced at US$149 for the 64GB model and US$249 for the 256GB model. It is also back by a standard three-year warranty. Source from StorageReview.com

Icy News: Seagate GoFlex Thunderbolt Adapter Now Available

2012-02-04T14:50:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago at CES 2012, Seagate showcased their GoFlex Thunderbolt adapters. They come in two flavors: the GoFlex Desk Thunderbolt adapter takes 3.5" drives, requires an external power supply, and has two Thunderbolt ports; the GoFlex Thunderbolt adapter is suitable for 2.5" drives, is bus-powered, and has a single Thunderbolt port (i.e. no daisy-chaining).

The GoFlex Desk adapter won't be available until later this month, but Seagate has now updated theiraccessory page and started shipping the 2.5" GoFlex adapter. It's available from Seagate's online store for $100 (no cable included, so that's another $50), which is quite a lot more than a $15 USB 3.0 enclosure, but at least this is better pricing than the LaCie and Promise solutions we have seen so far. ~~Unfortunately, you are still limited to using Seagate's GoFlex drives, but fortunately they are reasonably priced.~~ By way of comparison, a solution using the GoFlex TB adapter and 1TB GoFlex external would cost around $230, whereas LaCie charges $400 for a similar setup.

UPDATE: It appears that a GoFlex drive is not needed and any 2.5" SATA drive should work.

MacWorld has already received a review unit and run a few basic tests. As you might have expected, Thunderbolt is noticeably faster than USB 2.0 but not much faster than FireWire 800. In terms of raw numbers, USB 2.0 had a maximum throughput of 33.7MB/s while FireWire and Thunderbolt had 70.3MB/s and 81.3MB/s respectively. Obviously, the 500GB 2.5" 5400rpm drive is the bottleneck here—the gap would be a lot bigger with a 3.5" hard drive, or better yet, an SSD.

To be honest, the GoFlex Thunderbolt adapter isn't really worth it unless you plan on using an SSD, which requires you to open the GoFlex enclosure and change the hard drive to an SSD, which is not supported by Seagate and may void your warranty. In the case of regular 2.5" hard drives, you're better off with the GoFlex FireWire 800 adapter ($50 from Seagate's online store and no $50 cable required), assuming you have a Mac with FireWire 800—otherwise USB 2.0 should be sufficient as well. For those not using Mac hardware, Thunderbolt may have more bandwidth, but right now USB 3.0 is a far more economical solution. Source from Anand Tech

Icy News: Apple Updates Final Cut Pro X, Brings Back Features from Final Cut Pro 7

2012-02-04T14:41:00.001+08:00

Apple has today issued an update for their professional video editing suite, Final Cut Pro X (FCPX). The update carries version number 10.0.3 and re-introduces some crucial elements, such as multicam editing. Multicam filming is widely used by video professionals as many scenes require multiple video angles, and it's obvious that you also need editing software that supports multicam editing in order to achieve the best outcome. Other new features include advanced chroma keying that allows color, edge and light adjustments; media relink that allows content to be modified with third party software and then be relinked to your project; import Photoshop graphics; and broadcast monitoring that allows video to be output to an external monitor using PCIe or Thunderbolt devices...Full news at Anand Tech

Icy News: NZXT Switch 810: When Too Much Isn't Enough

2012-02-04T14:38:00.000+08:00

Introducing the NZXT Switch 810

NZXT recently released the Switch 810, a new high-end full tower model they proudly had on display at CES at the same time they were seeding samples to reviewers. It's a looker to be sure, but NZXT's engineers also played a lot with the insides of the enclosure, and what they've put together is a chassis with a remarkable number of uncommon features designed to appeal to enthusiasts who want to maximize both the utility of their machines along with the control they have over that utility. It looks great on paper and great on display, but how does it work in practice...Full review at Anand Tech

Icy Dock: MB974SP-B SATA 3 version released now!!

2012-02-04T14:29:00.002+08:00

More information go to MB974 link: http://www.cremax.com.tw/eng/goods.php?id=93

Icy news: OCZ Signs Ingram Micro as Distributor

2012-01-09T15:28:00.000+08:00

This is a Press Release edited by StorageNewsletter.com on Fri, January 6th, 2012

In UK

OCZ Technology Group, Inc. has signed a distribution agreement with Ingram Micro (UK), a division of Ingram Micro Inc., to increase the availability of OCZ's SSDs for business and enterprise clients.

A Fortune 100 company, Ingram Micro is a large wholesaler of technology products and supply chain management services and will expand the OCZ presence in the UK market.

"Ingram Micro is a recognized leader in the region for the distribution of premium storage solutions, and we are pleased to partner with Ingram to make our client and enterprise solid state storage products more available to customers throughout the region," said Richard Singh, CSO of OCZ Technology Group. "Ingram Micro's clients can now take advantage of the complete range of OCZ's best-of-breed SSD solutions which are designed to push the envelope in performance, reliability, and total cost of ownership."

"With the solid state drive market in steep growth, it is important to us that our portfolio of available product is meeting the needs of our SMB and Enterprise customers," said Mike Farrah, Commercial Director at Ingram Micro. "OCZ has a powerful focused offering, and we are pleased to take this opportunity to bring the products to a wide audience with immediate availability." sourcre to Storagenewsletter.com

Icy news: ANALYSIS: Storage Trends in 2012

2012-01-09T15:24:00.000+08:00

By Jean-Jacques Maleval, Thu, January 5th, 2012

≠1: the impact of HDD prices

1Q12 to be a dramatic quarter
The amount of data continues to increase - about all storage predictions begin with this one since many years - but what's new is that the price to store them increases since few months and this trend will continue during the beginning of the year. As about all storage subsystems contains hard disk drives, the vendors have no choice but to increase the price of their configuration. For how long? Apparently, following the flood, the situation in Thailand improved but it's difficult to know when the HDD makers will begin to lower their prices, probably not before June 2012. It's probably the first time in the storage industry to see such a trend, price per gigabyte going up, and it will affect all the users from home to enterprise. The need for more capacity is there and they will probably wait for lower pricing before investing in new systems. Consequently, in this period of economic crisis and recession in Western countries, the first quarter of 2012 could be one of the worst one in the industry...Full news to Storagenewsletter.com

Icy news: External Portable HDD With Square Form Factor

2012-01-09T15:11:00.000+08:00

Freecom Mobile Drive Sq, €179 for 1TB

Freecom, a Mitsubishi Kagaku Media company, unveiled theMobile Drive Sq, a mobile hard drive with a square form factor that is the first of its kind.

"The Mobile Drive Sq is everything you would expect of a high-quality mobile hard drive," said Cas de Heus, marketing and communications manager EUMEA at Freecom. "From a practical point of view, it's fast, portable and easy to use - but when it comes to appearance, the Mobile Drive Sq really goes the extra mile. The stylish square enclosure looks stunning next to any notebook or computer, and is a timeless piece that is unlike any other mobile hard drive on the market."

Designed in collaboration with industrial designer Arman Emami, the Freecom Mobile Drive Sq is encased in a sandblasted stainless steel enclosure that makes it less susceptible to fingerprints and scratches. A surrounding plastic trim protects the drive against impact and the combination of a thin metal surface with a plastic core creates a compound that is sleek, durable and lightweight.

"With the Mobile Drive Sq, we've incorporated sensual, organic lines without losing the refreshing simplicity of a basic geometric form," said Arman Emami, founder of the Berlin design studioEmamidesign. "The result is a product that people will want to use wherever they go - it really exudes the high quality design that the market expects of Freecom."

Available in 500GB and 1TB storage capacities, the Mobile Drive Sq has an USB 3.0 connection that enables users to transfer data at speeds of approximately 130MB/s. The Mobile Drive Sq is powered by USB port, so users can plug it into any PC or Mac and drag and drop files to share data with friends, family and colleagues.

The compact Mobile Drive Sq measures 12 x 12 x 1.05/1.3 cm so it can be slipped into a bag and carried around with users wherever they go. The drive comes with Nero backup software for Windows, as well as an energy-saving 'Green Button' function that puts the drive into standby mode when not in use.

Pricing and availability
The Freecom Mobile Drive Sq is available in 500GB and 1TB capacities. Price is €119 and €179 respectively with a two-year warranty and unlimited helpdesk support with this product. Source from Storagenewsletter.com

Icy news:OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G 480GB SSD Released: Best Upgrade Gets Better

2012-01-09T14:56:00.000+08:00

OWC announced today that their popular Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSD for the Apple MacBook Air will finally be offered in a 480GB capacity. Those who have read our review from last October might remember the only con listed for that drive was the lack of this very capacity, which at the time was only available for the older 3G model. In a sense, the best upgrade for the Apple MacBook Air just got better.

OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G 480GB Specs

Capacity - 480GB (OWCSSDAPE6G480)
Formatted Capacity - 447GB
Toshiba 3X-nm MLC NAND
SandForce 2281 Series Processor with 7% Over Provisioning
SATA 6Gb/s interface
511 MB/s read speeds, 448 MB/s write speeds
4K Read Up to 60,000 IOPS, Random 4K Write Up to 60,000 IOPS
3 Year OWC Warranty
Power - Active Less than 3000mW (3.0W) expected maximum draw, Idle Power Less than 1200mW (1.2W)

The new 480GB Aura Pro Express 6G has a MSRP of $1,149 and is expected to start shipping January 21st.

News from Storagereview.com

Icy News: Sony PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) Features, Specifications & Pricing

2012-01-02T14:19:00.001+08:00

After a huge success of the PlayStation Portable which was unveiled on May 11, 2004, Sony is now all set to release the next version of the handheld gaming console called PlayStation Vita (pronounced “vee-tah”, not “vy-tah”). After much rumour and speculation, the company finally announced the new PS, which was formerly code named NGP (Next Generation Portable) with some brilliant specs and features.

The Sony PlayStation Vita which was formerly unveiled at Sony’s E3 2011 press conference, aims to provide the most comprehensive portable gaming experience around. The new version of the handheld gaming console comes with two analog sticks, a 5-inch OLED multi-touch screen, supporting Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and optionally 3G. The PS Vita will also support social networking apps like the PS4, such as Facebook, Skype, Twitter, and foursquare, which will be available for download for free from the PlayStation store...Full news at TheTechLabs

Icy Comment: PS vita has released! Do you wait in line in front of the Sony Store in order to get it at first hand (like iPhone 4S)? I like this gadget 'coz lot of games I am interested in PS vita :-D I like the touch screen feature, it makes the games more funny and variable playing. If you get PS vita, please share with us!

Icy Dock: Top 100 Products of 2011

2012-01-02T13:51:00.000+08:00

Reviewing 2011

The year has come and gone in the blink of an eye, and it has undeniably been a year filled with surprises and innovation that have created an impact in our lives. Consumers have begun to 'adopt' 3D as more 3D TVs are lining the store front, while we saw more compact interchangeable lens cameras (commonly referred asmirrorless cameras) from Sony, Panasonic, Nikon and many more landing on retail shelves. Also notable are the rising variety of advanced compact cameras closing the gap between the casual and enthusiast groups. Elsewhere, Apple's MacBook Air is no longer the king of slim notebooks with Ultrabooks paving the way for companies such as ASUS, Lenovo, Toshiba and many others to join in the limelight for the new standard of consumer notebooks.

2011 is also the year of the tablets, when Apple's iPad 2 was challenged by the likes of Google and its hardware partners with the launch of Android 3.2 Honeycomb. Unfortunately, the competition still paled in comparison, and Apple is still leading the race. While the yearly mobile OS update from Apple's iOS 5 and Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5 highlighted the importance of cloud services with iCloud and Windows Live, Google is also stepping up with services such as Google Music and the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. The latter aims to unify the fragmented tablet and smartphone experience.

Smartphones, however, turned out quite differently. With dual-core processors making its way into devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S II, and added features such as Beats Audio on the HTC Sensation XE, the choices were aplenty for consumers. Mobile processors aren't the only ones making an impact, as Intel's Sandy Bridgelineup goes mainstream to makes its way onto a wide range of notebooks, as well as to the workstation and enthusiasts segment with the ubber expensive Intel Core i7-3960X Sandy Bridge-E processor. Even in connectivity standards, Intel, in collaboration with Apple, managed to debut its new serial data interface, Thunderbolt.

Phew, what a busy year! As we gear ourselves up for even more exciting times in 2012, let us honor the products (in no order of merit) that made all the above (and more) possible with the Top 100 Products of 2011...Full news at HWZ

Icy Dock: Happy New Year in 2012

2012-01-02T12:30:00.001+08:00

Dear everybody,

We are in 2012, Happy New Year to all of you! I wish everyone's dream will be coming true, have a best time with family, friends and couples, good harvest at your job or schoolwork. Once again Happy New Year~~^^

Icy Dock Dual Bay RAID Enclosure Review (MB662USEB-2-1)

2011-12-26T15:28:00.001+08:00

The Icy Dock MB662USEB-2-1 is a simple two-bay enclosure designed to be used in RAID0/1, JBOD or Concatenation modes with 3.5-inch hard drives. The enclosure offers a quad-interface, allowing users to connect via FireWire 800/400, USB 2.0 and eSATA. In the box Icy Dock includes everything you need to get rolling (except the drives); power adapter and cables for each interface are standard equipment.

The MB662USEB-2-1 is aimed at users who need either high transfer speeds or data redundancy through use of various RAID modes such as RAID0 and RAID1. By supplying either their own 3.5-inch desktop hard drives, users can customize the RAID array for their individual use. Those wanting a safe way to protect their data with a wide range of connections will enjoy the protection of RAID1 and the quad-interface compatibility. Those looking for high transfer speeds will like the RAID0 capabilities and the eSATA/FW-800 connections for fast data transfers.

Based around the Oxford 946 ARM chipset, the enclosure supports hardware RAID, which gives a big boost in speed or redundancy without impacting CPU usage on the host system. The MB662USEB-2-1 will be available starting December 7th for a suggested retail price of $185. It's worth noting that while many consumer-grade hard drives will work in this enclosure, Icy Dock recommends enterprise-grade drives, or drives that otherwise support TLER, which prevents the drives from falling out of a RAID array when they encounter an error....full review at Storage Reviews

Corsair Performance Pro SSD (256GB) Review

2011-12-26T15:17:00.000+08:00

The Corsair Performance Pro SSD is powered by the Marvell 9174 processor, Toshiba 34nm Toggle MLC NAND and a SATA 6Gb/s interface. The Performance Pro adds to Corsair's already excellent line of SDD products that leverage perhaps the most robust set of combinations of NAND and SSD processors available with a SATA interface. In this case the Performance Pro replaces the Performance 3, Corsair's first Marvell 9174-based SSD which was announced about a year ago. A year goes a long way in the SSD world, the Performance Pro picks up a tremendous speed boost over the Performance 3, delivering read speeds of up to 515MB/s and an impressive 440MB/sec in sequential write performance, compared to 480MB/s reads and 320 MB/s writes in the first generation model.

Corsair offers a simplified capacity lineup with the Performance Pro, it comes in just 128GB (CSSD-P128GBP-BK) and 256GB (CSSD-P256GBP-BK) capacities. Each is ready for notebook duty with the 2.5" form factor, but Corsair also includes a mounting bracket for 3.5" desktop drive bays. The Corsair Performance Pro is competitively priced with a street price of $219 for the 128GB version and $419 for the 256GB capacity.

When comparing similar SSDs, it turns out the Corsair Performance Pro shares a lot with the Plextor M3S; so much in fact that they share the same PCB. As you will see below, we found similar markings on both boards, although each had minor hardware differences (additional capacitors or regulators). Hardware is where the differences stop though as both are running different firmware which is evident in our performance comparison...full review at Storage Reviews

Icy news: Seiko and Singapore's A*Star to Develop 2.5-Inch Hybrid HDD

2011-12-16T12:35:00.000+08:00

5mm thick for tablets and mobile devices

With the announcement of its thin hybrid drive initiative, theA*STAR, Data Storage Institute (DSI) has further substantiated its move by sealing a partnership with Seiko Instruments Inc.(SII).

SII and DSI has signed a research collaboration to develop pivot assembly for 2.5-inch, 5mm thickness, hybrid HDD, signaling a step towards manufacturability of the DSI's 5mm thin drive target.

SII, a maker of hard disk drive components with strong expertise in high performance miniature ball bearing and pivot cartridge design, together with DSI will put in significant amount of resources to this collaboration to bring the design of the pivot cartridge towards manufacturing. The pivot assembly is an important component within the HDD which supports the movement of the actuator arm that carries the integrated system of read/write sensors over the media.

DSI's 5mm hybrid HDD architecture is targeted at addressing the current limitations of both flash-based SSDs as well as the conventional HDD, mitigating areas such as portability, data storage reliability, storage capacity, power consumption and cost. The resulting 5mm hybrid HDD is expected to enhance the next generation of media tablets and mobile computing devices, through increased capacity and reliability.

“Our partnership with SII is a step towards materializing the 5mm hybrid hard disk drive, but more importantly, is a recognition from the industry on the viability and potential of 5mm hybrid hard disk drive,” said Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos, Executive Director of DSI.

“The development of pivot assembly for 5mm thickness HDD is very challenging. However, with DSI's expertise and strengths in hard disk drive, I strongly believe that our collaboration with DSI will be a resounding success and therefore make a positive contribution in the growth of HDD industry,” said Mr. Masao Kasuga, Senior Vice President of SII. Source from storagenewsletter.com

ICY games: Resident Evil 3: The number one survival horror series' best game?

2011-12-16T12:24:00.000+08:00

For many gamers, the Resident Evil series begins in a rural part of Spain with old-timers croaking at Leon Kennedy while trying to part his hair with a spinning hatchet.

And such is the majesty commanded by Resi 4 that I feel reluctant to criticise this youthful, naive and literally wrong, perspective.

The number 4 in the title though should make it pretty clear that there's impressive legacy of Evil to pick your way through to truly appreciate Capcom's viral soap opera, but out of the 11 (eleven!) Resident Evils that came before number 4 it's Resi 3 that still makes the blood pump a little quicker.

Resi 3 is often overlooked for those looking for authenticity (Resi 1) or aesthetics (Code: Veronica), yet this is the spiritual godfather of the modern series: an athletic action-game compared to the sparse survival horror predecessors.

The game begins with STARS hottie and Spencer Mansion survivor Jill Valentine attempting to escape Raccoon City, which has become overrun with T-Virus victims. Making the situation more complicated are a bunch of sinister Umbrella Mercenaries and a STARS-targetting mac-wearing bio-weapon called Nemesis.

The presentation is classic: fixed cameras, pre-rendered backdrops, door loading screens and the quirky control system. The action is swifter and more intense mainly due to the power shift between you and the zombies as their strength in numbers isn't enough anymore - now they have reason to fear you!

The reasons: Jill is nimbler than before, able to dodge the lunges of the infected with a pump of the shoulder button and perform a 180-degree spin to launch swift counters. Then there's the content of those counters which is often shotgun led thanks to its discovery in the first 10 minutes of the game, aided by explosive scenery and followed-up with Jill's home-made enhanced ammo.

There's also the whittled-to-perfection design of the environment that dispenses with the lung-bursting back tracking of Resi 2 in favour of a labyrinth-like condensing of space.

It's like an Ikea storage solution in the way it uses and re-uses space, allowing to you to approach set-piece situations from a number of directions and discover just how rotten Umbrella's city is.

All the Resi magic you'd expect, from set-piece jumps to pantomime betrayal, is there - just in a more digestible size than before (or since) that rewards replaying the game.

Lastly, there's the presence of Jill Valentine who manages to carry off a boob-tube and shoulder holster and still smoulder. A truly believable and compassionate heroine at the heart of the most toned, lean and fighting fit of the Resi series. Source from computerandvideogames.com

Icy games: Alan Wake finally coming to PC in early 2012

2011-12-16T12:14:00.000+08:00

Alan Wake, originally planned as a PC and Xbox 360 game, but later launched as a console exclusive, has finally been announced again for PC.
Featuring the The Signal and The Writer DLC add-ons, it will arrive in early 2012.

A Remedy spokesperson couldn't confirm PC-specific features like DirectX 11 support when quizzed by Shacknews, or the game's distribution channels, but the developer did offer one screenshot (right).

It's good news for PC players, although we can't say we're totally surprised. Earlier this week, ninja PC gamers spotted a listing for Alan Wake in Steam's registry, sparking speculation that the title could finally be released on the platform.

Alan Wake's XBLA follow-up, American Nightmare, was announced this weekend. Source from computerandvideogames.com

PogoPlug Series 4 Introduced; USB3.0 Meets The Cloud

2011-12-16T12:04:00.000+08:00

PogoPlug has been making appearances in a number of products for a few years now. The premise is simple: take a low-power ARM computer, give it a NAS optimized Linux build, add storage and network access and you have what's been termed the "personal cloud." Access your files anywhere from your PC, phone or tablet; and never beholden to a data center. PogoPlug's particular hardware has been integrated into branded docks and also to OEM branded storage solutions. PogoPlug recently improved its service to include 5 GB of cloud storage available free to anyone interested.

Today, PogoPlug introduces their Series 4 device, an update that adds one key addition. Like the original Seagate DeskStar dock, the Series 4 acts as a dock for Seagate GoFlex mobile hard drives and includes an SD card reader, Gigabit ethernet, single USB 2.0 port and two USB 3.0 ports. The USB 3.0 addition is new, and while the added throughput might be wasted to slow broadband and cellular access, the performance should help with local streaming.

We can expect more personal cloud devices coming our way. While the convenience of storing all your data in a massive redundant data center is great, having to contend with network difficulties and service fees can be less than ideal, particularly the high costs of expanding storage. Personal cloud devices remove the fees and storage barriers, and leave users with the task of optimization and network upkeep. If you're up to the task and interested in expandable cloud storage, this may be one of the best options around.The Series 4 is available now at your favorite e-tailer for $99. source from Anandtech

Seagate 2nd Generation Momentus XT (750GB) Hybrid HDD Review

2011-12-16T11:44:00.000+08:00

To say I liked the original Momentus XT would be an understatement. While Seagate had the lofty goal of negating the need for an SSD with its first mass-market hybrid HDD, the reality was the Momentus XT ended up being the best 2.5" hard drive on the market. In many cases, it was fast enough to be better than 3.5" desktop hard drives as well.

Seagate earned this praise by combining a small amount of of SLC NAND (4GB at the time) with a traditional 7200RPM 2.5" hard drive. A separate NAND controller was introduced to handle caching of frequently accessed data to the NAND. By acting solely as a read cache (only read requests to the drive are pulled into the cache), Seagate skirted the complicated issue of effectively building an on-board SSD by only caching reads from the hard drive and not writes to it... Full review at Anandtech

Icy games: Assassin's Creed Revelations: 'Think huge sequences of high adventure '

2011-12-02T15:08:00.001+08:00

It's not only Ezio and Altair who are the stars of the Assassin's Creed series, but it's also the atmospheric, evocative city and landscapes that make this one of the most beautiful series in gaming.

For Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Ubisoft Montreal has rebuilt that famous crossroads of the ancient world, Constantinople, as well as several diverse secret locations.

As part of our Unlock the Animus campaign, we sat down with art director Raphael Lacoste, creative director Alexandre Amancio and scriptwriter Darby McDevitt to give you the low down on Revelations' locations...

You'll spend a lot of time in Revelations in Constantinople. That must have been quite a canvas to work with, can you tell us about the process of bringing it to life?

Raphael Lacoste: Our team invested itself heavily into both historical and on-location research to bring 16th century Constantinople to life. Via many trips to modern Istanbul to fully grasp the feel of the city, to hundreds of hours of research into the political and social realities of the period, we hope that we have brought this rich period of history to life in a convincing and believable manner... completed news go to ComputerAndVideoGames.com

Icy comment: Assassin's Creed is one of PC games I love so much. Especially I was touched when playing Episode 2 because it fully presents the scene and architectures of the Renaissance period. Unfortunately I have time to get through Brotherhood due to busy...Just share your feedback about it!

Icy news: Samsung 6Gb mSATA SSDs in Production

2011-12-02T14:52:00.000+08:00

64GB to 256GB, eight grams, for ultra-slim notebooks

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced volume production of SSDs that support the mSATA interface.

The drives are designed for use in ultra-slim notebooks such as Ultrabook PCs.

"Samsung's compact mSATA SSDs will provide performance of the highest quality in helping to deliver the advanced ultra-slim PCs that consumers have been wanting," said Myungho Kim, vice president of memory marketing, Device Solutions, Samsung Electronics. "Samsung plans to continue providing timely delivery of advanced SSD solutions, while preserving its leadership position in the SSD market for notebook PCs."

Combining Samsung's mSATA SSDs with the latest multi-core processors will help PC manufacturers to improve performance of their Ultrabook-class portable PCs up to that of notebook PCs.

The new Samsung mSATA SSDs (The mSATA PM830 SSDs are available only to OEMs for installation in new PCs or other devices) will be available in 256, 128 and 64GB densities as main storage devices, and also at 32GB for caching. They measure 50.95 x 30 x 3.8 millimeters and weigh eight grams.

The new SSDs will be part of the Samsung PM830 product family that was introduced earlier this year. They make use of Samsung's 20 nanometer class NAND flash memorycomponents which incorporate the toggle DDR interface.

Utilizing SATA 6Gb/s controllers-based on Samsung's own technology, the new mSATA SSDs can operate at the industry'ssequential read and write speeds of 500MB/s and of 260MB/s respectively, under optimum conditions. This is more than six times the speed of hard disk drives typically offering a data transfer rate of 80MB/s. The Samsung SSDs also enable faster system boot-ups (in the 10-second range) and will transmit five DVD files in about a minute.

In addition, the Samsung mSATA SSDs feature an hardware-based security solution including 256-bit AES protection, which will prevent unauthorized access to data on a lost or stolen notebook PC.

Beginning this year, the market for Ultrabook-class mobile PCs has been growing rapidly and is expected to expand beyond that of tablet PCs as early as next year due to outstanding performance characteristics, more advanced processors and use of the Windows 8 operating system. According to market research firm IHS iSuppli, the Ultrabook share of global notebook shipments will exceed 40 percent in 2015. News from Storage newsletters

Icy comment: Start from iPad, tablet PC can be said the most popular electronic gadgets in market now, portable, user friendly, slim and light...laptops market seems to face a competitor. Now ultra books start to get the market back now. It is also particular about slim and light body, longer endurance of battery, high storage capacity and performance.Next year will be a battle field of ultra book and tablet PC...which one you support?

Icy Dock MB981U3-1SA 2.5″/3.5″ USB 3.0 SATA & IDE Hard Drive Docking Station review

2011-11-30T19:00:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time, IDE Hard Disk Drives were all the rage, and if you do still have some of these, soon to be, legacy drives then you will be surprised to see a company creating products that allow you to dock an IDE drive, on top of that, this dock also allows you to use SATA drives too.

While this product in itself is not unique, it is certainly a rarity and something we were very interested to take a look at. Most docks that are readily available on the market currently can usually fit 2.5″ or 3.5″ SATA drives only and sometimes only one or the other of these sizes. This Icy Dock creation takes both IDE and SATA drives of both sizes due to a very cleverly designed adapter... full review go to here

Too expensive to buy hard drives due to Thai flood? SSD opportunity coming! ICY DOCK show you how to use a 2.5" hard drive!

2011-11-30T17:59:00.003+08:00

Due to Thai flood, 3.5" hard drive prices soar up over 100% in many countries. Just no worry, use your SSD and 2.5" hard drive in a 3.5" bay!!

ICY news: Thai floods boost PC hard drive prices

2011-11-28T19:13:00.001+08:00

(Reuters) - Prices for hard drives are jumping as flooding in Thailand creates a shortage of the major component used in personal computers and one big customer is complaining of price gouging.

Drive manufacturers have raised prices by 20 to 40 percent and international electronics distributor Avnet Inc in turn has raised its prices by a similar amount after water poured into factories this month, said Avnet Senior Vice President Chuck Kostalnick.

"The word we're getting is that prices are going to continue to go up," he told Reuters Friday. "This isn't going to be a one-time event."

Flooding in Thailand, the No. 2 exporter of hard drives, has killed at least 377 people since July and devastated industrial areas in the center of the country... completed news to Reuters

Icy Comment: Worldwide Hard drive supply is meeting a critical shortage, prices of hard drive are also incredible high now...It hard to say when hard drive can recover supplying. At this time 2.5" Hdd and SSD may have chance to occupy market right now, but it still depends on users favor...

ICY Game: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review

2011-11-04T18:53:00.000+08:00

You've seen bits of Uncharted 3. Giant, processor-stretching moments of scale like Drake being tossed about like frying scampi in a capsizing boat, or our hero clinging to an aeroplane's landing gear as it rushes vertiginously from the ground. You might have even thought that: "Wow, that's vertiginous."

But the game doesn't open with spectacle. It starts in the pub; a dusty, pleasingly authentic boozer playing host to Drake and Sully. There's a deal, suspense, London drizzle, East End heavies - but while it's not the eager-to-please attention grabber you might expect from the biggest blockbuster on PS3, it's packed with fine detail, nuanced performances, and a storytelling confidence that's just as gripping as any showy, cards-on-the-table opener you care to mention.
Of course, as you get a little further, those moments of spectacle show up in force, in greater numbers and with greater impact than in previous games. It makes Uncharted 3 a refined juggling act of emotional smarts and technical muscle, the real trick being able to combine the two rather than having them run in parallel...read more at www.computerandvideogames.com

ICY news: Microsoft issues temporary fix for critical Windows hole

2011-11-04T18:44:00.000+08:00

Microsoft issued a temporary fix this evening for a previously unknown critical Windows vulnerability being exploited by the Duqu Trojan to infect systems.
The software giant said in an advisory issued late tonight that a flaw in the Win32k TrueType font-parsing engine affected every version of Windows from XP through Windows 7. The vulnerability is related to the spread of the Duqu malware, a Stuxnet-like Trojan infecting computers via a Word document...read more at CNET

ICY news: Kingston Digital Transforms USB Key Into Active Storage Device

2011-11-04T18:29:00.001+08:00

With urDrive, free software to simplify file management

Kingston Digital, Inc. announced urDrive, a free pre-loaded application available on a variety of its DataTraveler USB Flash drives.

urDrive transforms USB drives from passive storage to engaged, active storage, allowing consumers to access and organize their personal files, photos, music, games and videos. A built-in photo viewer and MP3 player makes looking at pictures and listening to music easy.

"USB drives have historically served as digital couriers, transporting data from one device to another. Kingston is taking the lead in transforming the way consumers interact with those devices," said Craig Tilmont, urDrive business manager, Kingston. "urDrive enables consumers of all ages to make the USB Flash drive an interactive experience beyond just storing and transferring data between devices."

urDrive enhances security on the PC with Norton PC Checkup. The diagnostic tool scans for virus infections (including spyware, worms and adware) and checks for slow performance and risks to identity and data. urDrive further enhances the digital experience with the Maxthon 3 Web browser. It boasts startup and rendering speeds, and architecture that gives users a portable, safe browsing experience. All temp files, history and cookies remain on the drive, keeping browsing private particularly on public computers.

"Consumer computing habits have evolved and urDrive brings a new level of sophistication to mobile storage that is fresh, functional and different," said Kevin Chapman, general manager and vice president, Norton Consumer Services. "Integrating Norton PC Checkup with urDrive allows users to interact with content in an engaging way with an additional layer of security and performance analysis added to the experience. We are proud to be a part of this new evolution of active USB storage with Norton PC Checkup offering peace-of-mind to mobile users wherever they go."

"Maxthon 3 offers urDrive customers a truly safe and portable browsing experience," said Karl Mattson, general manager and chief of product, Maxthon International LTD. "Now, with urDrive, your browsing history, bookmarks and settings follow you wherever you go."
urDrive appeals to consumers of all ages, whether they are at work, home or traveling. For example, business professionals can access content at work or home and even extend storage capacity beyond the USB with free, additional online backup. The service syncs files from USB to cloud offering backup and access. For family entertainment, urDrive provides access to the latest casual game titles from EA Games and PopCap Games. Busy moms can rest assured that their kids can safely engage in online activities with the Fooz Kids kid-safe web browsing application. Travelers can view, manage and share their growing photo and video albums on the go, while carrying digital copies of critical documents, like passports.

urDrive is available as a free, pre-loaded application on Kingston's entry-level DataTraveler 101G2, 108 and 109 USB Flash drives, and soon on the DTIG3. These devices offer consumers a choice in design and capacity, from 4GB to 32GB. Source from StorageNewsletter.com

Street date, RRP confirmed for PlayStation Vita in Europe and Australia

2011-10-21T11:21:00.000+08:00

Following confirmation that the PlayStation Vita will hit Japanese shelves in December, comes news that Sony's handheld gaming device will hit the UK, European and Australian shelves on February 22nd 2012.

The Wi-Fi model will retail for £229.99 in the UK, €249.99 in Europe and $349.95 in Australia, while the 3G/Wi-Fi model will set punters back £279.99, €299.99 in Europe and $449.95 in Australia.

Boasting 80 games currently in production, as well as impressive augmented reality technology, Australian SCEE Managing Director Michael Ephraim claimed in a statement that the Vita is "a revolutionary device, which will offer the best possible portable gaming experiences on the market."

Vita is set to launch first in Japan on December 17. If you do fancy importing one in time for Christmas though, Vita will be region free.

While we have to wait a little longer than Japan to get our hands on the portable, it should arrive over here with plenty of games. It's launching with 26 in Sony's home country, but the platform holder has said it expects 100 to be available within the console's launch window.

The Best Android Tablet Alternatives to the iPad 2

2011-10-21T11:13:00.000+08:00

Apple revolutionized the technology industry with the release of the original iPad, but the tablet industry has come a long way since then; thanks to the birth of the Android tablet.

Since the release of the original iPad, modern consumers have been looking for worthy alternatives that match the collective features and price of Apple’s infamous iOS tablet.

But consumers aren’t the only ones looking for alternatives to the iPad. In fact, finding a worthy match is such an obsession for the tech world that the phrases “iPad killer” and “iPad competitor” have been coined, and used quite often.....read more at Thetechlabs

ICY Comment: Since the first iPad released in market, HTC, Samsung, Acer...started to develop new tablet in order to fight the tablet market. Different features different functions to appeal to users. Which one will you support?

The Intel SSD 710 (200GB) Review

2011-10-11T13:55:00.000+08:00

When Intel entered the SSD market one of its declared goals was to bring the technology into the mainstream. The goal was so important to Intel that its consumer drive was branded X25-M, with the M standing for mainstream. Intel's desire for SSD ubiquity wasn't entirely altruistic however. Mechanical storage acted as a potential gate to increasing CPU performance. Eventually, without significant improvements in IO performance, CPU improvements would be less visible to most users. SSDs would help alleviate this bottleneck.

It wouldn't be untrue to say that Intel accomplished its mission. The client SSD market was in a state of disarray before Intel arrived on the scene. Although we still have problems today, there are a number of affordable options for end users and lots of competition. Samsung, Marvell, Indilinx, JMicron and even SanDisk are now vying for control of the market... read more at Anand Tech

ICY news: Apple co-founder, Chairman Steve Jobs dies

2011-10-06T19:23:00.000+08:00

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple.
1955-2011
(Photo from apple.com)

Apple co-founder and Chairman Steve Jobs died today, Apple said. He was 56.

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives," Apple said in a statement. "The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."

Jobs had been suffering from various health issues following the seventh anniversary of his surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer in August 2004. Apple announced in January that he would be taking an indeterminate medical leave of absence, with Jobs then stepping down from his role as CEO in late August.

Jobs had undergone a liver transplant in April 2009 during an earlier planned six-month leave of absence. He returned to work for a year and a half before his health forced him to take more time off. He told his employees in August, "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come."

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20116336-37/apple-co-founder-chairman-steve-jobs-dies/#ixzz1a01TjzI1

Your creativity and works always amaze whole the world, R.I.P.

ICY news: Facebook adds WebSense safe browsing to its defenses

2011-10-04T15:42:00.001+08:00

This is the warning that will pop up if WebSense
determines that a web link is unsafe on Facebook
(Credit: Websense)

Facebook is adding a Websense Web link blacklist service to its arsenal of defenses designed to protect users from clicking on links that lead to sites hosting malware.
The social-networking site will be using Websense ThreatSeeker Cloud service, which warns people when they click on a link on Facebook that could be malicious, the companies announced today. Facebook will start rolling out the service today.

The partnership follows one that Facebook announced in May with the free Web of Trust safe surfing service. Facebook also has its own blacklist. The larger the pool of blacklists the better the chances users will be protected from malware, basically.

When users click on a link, the online blacklist databases are checked to see if the link is flagged. If the link is deemed unsafe, users will see a warning and be given the option of ignoring the alert, returning to the previous page, or getting more information.
Source: CNET NEWS

ICY Comment: I believe you must have a facebook account to contact your friends conveniently and play some webgames via it. Recently the news says Facebook still tracks your situation even though you have logged out. It is like a "Trueman show", and you are a actor/actress, it sounds terrible, doesn't it? Facebook bring not only users' conveniency to contact people in the world, but some private invasion issues... How do you think about it?

Icy news: OCZ: Synapse SSDs for High-Performance Caching

2011-09-30T10:37:00.001+08:00

2.5-inch, 6Gb SATA, 64GB and 128GB, 80,000 IO/s, Dataplex software

OCZ Technology Group, Inc. launched its Synapse Cache Series 2.5" SSDs.

The new Synapse SSDs are optimized for caching applications and leverages Dataplex cache software to dynamically manage the Synapse SSD in conjunction with standard HDDs, to provide users with SSD-level performance across the entire capacity of the HDD.

"The industry has shown that it craves the performance advantages that SSDs provide, however, many users still value the high capacities associated with HDDs," said Tobias Brinkmann, Director of Product Management, OCZ Technology Group. "We see the Synapse Cache SSDs integrated with Dataplex software as a big win for a large number of customers who value SSD performance but still require HDD capacity. We are proud to be the first to offer this no-compromise approach to enabling high-performance and high-capacity storage for virtually any PC platform."

This caching solution prioritizes the most frequently/recently used 'hot' data on the Synapse Cache SSD, while 'cold,' less frequently used data is stored on the larger capacity HDD. The OCZ Synapse series features the hardware and software technology to deliver storage performance without sacrificing HDD capacity.
Source from Storage Newsletter.com

ICY news: Sony PlayStation 4 Features, Design, Games & Release Date

2011-09-30T10:28:00.000+08:00

Sony is certainly in competition with Microsoft to bring up its next generation gaming console to the market. When the PlayStation 3 was released five years ago, it was sold out in almost every store, and as of June 31, 2011 there were more than 51 million units sold.

The competition gets tougher and intense in the video game market, and Sony is preparing itself for the release of PlayStation 4. In fact, while the PlayStation 4 is currently getting its treatment, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 6 are in the early stages of planning and conceptualization at Sony’s R&D labs... read more at TechLabs.com

ICY comment: As we know before Sony are going to release PS4, now the design and features releases now, I believe Sony fans can't wait to buy it! After PS4 news released, how about Microsoft and Nintendo?
Will they follow it up to announce the new consoles? Let us expect it!

ICY Games: Dead Space 3 set on icy planet - rumour

2011-09-29T12:38:00.001+08:00

While unannounced, it's safe to assume EA is working on a third episode in its successful horror series, and first details have hit the rumour mill today.

According to Siliconera, citing an anonymous source, the game will ditch its typical space ship setting in favour of an icy planet called Tau Volantis.

Isaac will apparently find himself trudging through blizzard conditions after crash-landing on the planet. First tasked with making his way to an abandoned waystation for shelter, Isaac encounters a near-dead survivor who tells him of other survivors who fled to another facility.

According to the report, which gets its info from the same source that accurately leaked details of EA's Syndicate, Isaac gets reacquainted with Ellie of Dead Space 1 fame before encountering a new enemy known as "The Hive Mind".

Siliconera gets more specific, but being conscious of spoilers we'll let you hit the source link for more.

This comes shortly after Dead Space 3 artwork was seemingly leaked into the public domain via a news program in Israel. Asked for comment on the video, an EA spokesman said: "We don't have any news about the Dead Space franchise at this time."

Source: computerandvideogames.com

Icy comment: Oh my god is that true? Dead space games are so "charming" for these who love FPS game with bloody elements and excellent story, although I am not going through at Dead space 1...It makes me a lot pressure when play game!...-_-" 'coz the strange and dark space environment, you have no idea where the monsters come from! Nice game, hope one day I can get it through!

ICY news: Amazon Kindle Fire: A $199 Kindle Tablet

2011-09-29T11:53:00.000+08:00

Kindle Fire

Earlier reports of the device now known as the Kindle Fire have varied wildly and with speculation rampant about what Amazon might announce the finished product appears to fall nicely in between the greatest device ever and a serious disappointment. We'll begin with pricing. Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, repeated one line more than any other during the event today, "premium products at non-premium prices." By pegging the Fire at $199 he certainly is following through on the latter claim. This undercuts even the Barnes and Noble Nook Color, while providing specifications that match devices more than twice it's price. So, bargain? You bet. ...read more at Anand Tech

ICY Choice: a docking station goes with your computer!

2011-09-28T19:20:00.000+08:00

Good day everybody, this time ICY DOCK shows you to compare other brand product with ICY DOCK-MB981U3-1SA and MB881U3-1SA in the below photos. Are you confused there is no usage of IDE HDD if you "fortunately" have it since long long time ago? you won't collect them in your attic and covered it by dust, MB881/981 helps the IDE HDD to be useful again!

Transferring via USB3.0 superspeed up to 5Gb/s, any file can be transferred to another device in a short time! (of course it also depends on the speed of HDD)

Just provide you the brief introduction as above, we believe you will be clear via reading the comparison in photos. More information please go to ICY DOCK now~enjoy it please ^^

MB881U3-1SA link: http://www.cremax.com.tw/eng/goods.php?id=94
MB981U3-1SA link: http://www.cremax.com.tw/eng/goods.php?id=95

ICY Choice: How to choose a suitable 2.5" HDD converter for your computer?

2011-09-27T10:29:00.003+08:00

2.5" to 3.5" converter series are ICY DOCK popular products in the markets, from the first converter device, MB882SP-1S-1SB, MB882SP-1S-2B to now MB982 series.
Somebody may be confused why so many similar products released? Is the function the same, isn't it? Don't worry, ICY DOCK shows you how to choose a suitable one for your computer. Simple photos with word description let you understand our products! You can go to http://www.cremax.com.tw/eng/index.php right now for more information~!

MB882 series products link
MB982 series products link

ICY choice: How to compare ICY DOCK product MB973SP-B with others!!

2011-09-26T18:38:00.002+08:00

So many multi-bay module products in market, to choose a suitable one may confuse you!

For users' consideration, we choose several products in the market to comapare with ICY DOCK multi-bay module MB973SP-B, you will be clear after checking it!! More information please go to ICY DOCK official website or our cooperated partners in the world!!

MB974SP-B review - posted by storagereview.com

2011-09-26T18:07:00.000+08:00

The Icy Dock 4-in-3 backplane gives users easy access to four hard drives in the space occupied by three 5.25" drive bays in a typical PC case. The unit is highlighted by tool-less/tray-less hard drive slots and dedicated SATA connections making it an ideal RAID backplane. Icy Dock has also thrown in a bunch of extras like......read the full review

Icy News:Diablo III Delayed Until 'Early 2012'

2011-09-26T12:02:00.001+08:00

Holding true to their design ethos of Ship It When It’s Ready, Blizzard just changed the launch window for Diablo III from the end of 2011 to early 2012.
“While this news might not be a complete surprise, I know that many of you were hopeful that Diablo III would ship this year,” stated Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaine. “We were too. However, this week we pulled together people from all of the teams involved with the game to decide whether we felt it would be ready before the end of December, and we grudgingly came to the conclusion that it would not.”
The delay’s silver lining is the extension of Diablo III’s beta period. Blizzard began sending out invites to the closed beta earlier this week, and this could give them time to add even more players. You can still opt-in to the beta over at Battle.net.

Blizzard’s 2012 calendar is now looking packed with Diablo III, the next chapter in Starcraft II, and another World of Warcraft expansion all tentatively scheduled for release. A busy year for a company that only ships when ready. via Anand Tech

Icy news: Sony Speeds Up 64GB SxS PRO Memory Card

2011-09-26T11:19:00.000+08:00

R/W at 1.2Gb/s through ExpressCard slot, without adapter

Sony Corporation has expanded its SxS PRO memory card range with a new generation which offers twice as fast writing speed than previous models.

The new SxS PRO 64GB, SBP-64 model, can read and write data at up to 1.2Gbps through an ExpressCard slot, without the need for an adapter.
With this evolution of increased writing speed, professional users will be able to capture video of higher bit-rate. They will also be able to capture 120 minutes of recording in HD 422 50Mbps MXF mode, which is widely used in the broadcast area, and transfer content directly to a laptop in 8 minutes, which will improve the global workflow.
In addition to its data transfer speed the SBP-64A also features durability, reliability and useful functions with XDCAM/XDCAM EX, included in the full SxS memory card range, which is achieved through 'Intelligent Technology by SxS'.
'Intelligent Technology by SxS' has been developed to reach data reliability and durability and to be compatible with Sony XDCAM/XDCAM EX equipment.
Data reliability is achieved through the 'Power failure management' function which enables the card to read the data again by re-creating data management table in the event of sudden loss of power supply or if the card is accidentally picked out, as well as through the data-error correction or the data-defects minimizing function. Also, like its SxS predecessors, SBP-64A offers salvage function and slow-motion recording function as a result of being co-engineered with XDCAM/XDCAM EX.
The new SxS PRO 64GB will be available in October 2011. via-StorageNewsletter.com

Icy News: Blizzard’s Diablo 3 experiments: “Oh, this feels even better with direct control”

2011-09-22T15:44:00.000+08:00

Everyone knows what classic Diablo plays like, but Blizzard has never been afraid to experiment. Part of that process for Diablo 3 involved looking at different control systems – up to and including seeing how the action would work with an Xbox 360 controller, or how its demon-slaying might play on consoles.

Yes. Diablo 3. On an Xbox controller. Read on to find out how Diablo 3′s game director feels about that.

“We don’t see ourselves as a PC developer – we see ourselves as a game developer. It’s just that the games that we wanted to make suit the PC platform,” game director Jay Wilson told us. “We don’t believe you can make a Starcraft style RTS and make it Blizzard great on a console. We do believe you could make an RTS that would be on a console, but we would have (to have) that idea, and that spark and that passion to make it.

“One of the reasons why we’re exploring the idea of a console version of Diablo 3 because we feel that the controls and the style of the game lend itself to a console. With some of our early experiments in putting a direct control scheme into the game via a 360-like analogue controller, I’ve been ‘Oh this feels even better, with direct control…’”

Don’t panic though. This doesn’t mean Diablo 3 itself is giving up its classic mouse controls, a la Dungeon Siege 3. It does speak to the chance of other versions further down the road though, which could even benefit the PC. “I can pretty much guarantee that if we decide to do a console version that we will look to support a pad on the PC,” says Wilson. “But initially with release I don’t think we’ll be ready.” via PC GAMER

Icy News: Half of IT Decision Makers Favor SSD Technology

2011-09-22T15:37:00.000+08:00

"IBM survey conducted by Zogby International

IBM Corp. released the findings of a customer survey that demonstrates pent-up demand for SSD technology as a successor to flash and hard-disk drives.

Customers are embracing high-performance SSDs to support growing data storage demands driven by cloud computing and analytics technologies.

More than half of the customers surveyed (57 percent) responded that their organization needs to develop a new storage approach to manage future growth. The survey of 250 U.S. IT professionals in decision-making positions was conducted by Zogby International in August 2011 on behalf of IBM.

The survey demonstrates a need for a new class of storage that can expand the market for SSDs by combining their ability to speed the delivery of data with lower costs and other benefits. Nearly half (43 percent) of IT decision makers say they have plans to use SSD technology in the future or are already using it. Speeding delivery of data was the motivation behind 75 percent of respondents who plan to use or already use SSD technology. Those survey respondents who are not currently using SSD said cost was the reason (71 percent).

Anticipating these challenges years ago, IBM Research has been exploring storage-class memory, a new category of data storage and memory devices that can access data significantly faster than hard disk drives-at the same low cost.

Racetrack memory, a solid-state technology, is a potential replacement for hard drives and successor to flash in handheld devices. A storage device with no moving parts, it uses the spin of electrons to access and move data to atomically precise locations on nanowires 1,000 times finer than a human hair. This technique combines the performance and reliability of flash with the low cost and high capacity of the hard disk drive. It could allow electronic manufacturers to develop devices that store much more information - as much as a factor of 100 times greater - while using much less energy than today's designs. Racetrack memory is featured as one of IBM's top 100 achievements as the company celebrates its Centennial this year.

These new storage technologies could also alleviate critical budget, power and space limitations facing IT administrators. Today, an average, transaction-driven datacenter uses approximately 1,250 racks of storage, taking up 13,996 square feet and 16,343 kilowatts (kw) of power. By 2020, storage-class memory could enable the same amount of data to fit in one rack that takes up 11 square feet and 5.8 kws of power.

"Technology shifts and market forces are fundamentally changing the composition and design of storage systems," said Bruce Hillsberg, director of storage systems, IBM Research, Almaden. "Evolving current storage technologies alone would not answer customers' diverse and rising data storage demands. We're constantly researching new materials and processes to extend existing storage technologies and get ahead of the performance and capacity requirements of future systems."

In the last year, IBM Research recorded a number of storage breakthroughs including a 29-gigabit per-square-inch tape demonstration; a world record of scanning 10 billion files on a single system in 43 minutes; and the creation of a 120-petabyte data system that is roughly 10 times larger than the biggest single data repository on record.

IBM storage products also include more than five significant storage innovations invented by IBM Research. One example, IBM Easy Tier, automatically moves the most active data (such as credit card transactions) to faster SSDs to prioritize and provide quick access to data for emerging workloads like analytics. The system moves secondary data (less urgent data to be saved, for example, for regulatory requirements) to more cost-effective storage technologies. This is an important technology in preventing what IBM characterizes as 'SSD sprawl' or the overuse of the technology, helping clients use SSDs appropriately to maximize data access while keeping costs in check.

The survey also found that:

Nearly half (43 percent) say they are concerned about managing Big Data.

About a third of all respondents (32 percent) say they either plan to switch to more cloud storage in the future or currently use cloud storage

Nearly half (48 percent) say they plan on increasing storage investments in the area of virtualization, cloud (26 percent) and flash memory/solid state (24 percent) and analytics (22 percent).

More than a third (38 percent) said their organization's storage needs are growing primarily to drive business value from data. Adhering to government compliance and regulations that require organizations to store more data for longer - sometimes up to a decade - was also a leading factor (29 percent)."

- via storagenewsletter.com

Icy News: Windows 8 Developer Preview: Come and get it

2011-09-20T12:34:00.000+08:00

Those of you interested in taking the current flavor of Windows 8 for a spin can now download and install the Developer Preview edition.
Being demoed at Microsoft's Build conference this week, the Developer Preview is a prebeta version showing off the operating system at its current stage. Though technically designed for developers, no registration is required, so anyone can download and install it.

The Windows 8 Preview is being offered in three different packages--a 64-bit version with various developer tools, a 64-bit version of just the operating system, and a 32-bit version of the OS.

All three come as ISO files--image files of the contents of a CD or DVD. Since each of the packages is several gigabytes in size, you'll need a DVD if you want to burn the files to a disc.

In Windows 7, you can burn the ISO file to a DVD by double-clicking it to open the Windows Disc Image Burner. For older operating systems, you can use a tool such as ISO Recorder to burn the file. Alternatively, you can use such utilities as Virtual CloneDrive or Daemon Tools to "mount" the ISO file as a drive, eliminating the need to burn it onto a disc.

Since this is a prebeta version, you'll want to install the OS on a spare PC or in a virtual environment so that it doesn't interfere with your production or work machine.

Those of you who want to know what you're getting into before you attempt to install the Developer Preview can check out a hands-on early look at Windows 8 from CNET's Seth Rosenblatt.

What's next after the Developer Preview?

Speaking at the Build conference yesterday, Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of Microsoft's Windows division, confirmed earlier reports that Windows 8 will next segue into one beta version, followed by one Release Candidate. Assuming all goes well, we can then expect the final RTM (release to manufacturing) edition sometime after that.

Sinofsky didn't reveal a specific timeframe for the beta or Release Candidate. However, the company has been expected to launch the beta at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in January, according to WinRumors." -via news.cnet.com

Icy Dock Hard Drive Docking Station Review (MB981U3-1SA)

2011-09-14T10:34:00.001+08:00

Icy Dock released a new hard drive docking station this summer that offers great flexibility; the MB981U3-1SA has a long list of supported drive types including 2.5" and 3.5" SATA drives, but if that's not good enough for you, they also include legacy IDE support. The dock connects to a computer via USB 3.0 interface, which can power the unit when used with 2.5" drives.......read the full review

Icy News: OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid 1TB Released

2011-09-14T10:21:00.001+08:00

"At Computex in July, OCZ announced the RevoDrive Hybrid PCI Express storage solution, along with their updated family of RevoDrive 3 SSDs. The RevoDrive Hybrid is now shipping, and offers a unique combination of 1TB 2.5" hard drive coupled with a 100GB OCZ SSD on a PCIe card. The drives combined with caching software can deliver 1TB of storage at 120,000 IOPS and read speeds up to 910 MB/s and writes of 810 MB/s.

OCZ is leveraging Dataplex caching software from NVELO on the RevoDrive Hybrid. Dataplex uses algorithms to determine which data is used more frequently, placing those files on the SSD to leverage the speed benefit, while lesser requested files remain on the hard drive. The caching is dynamic and adaptive based on specific user habits.

SSD caching solutions have been around for some time, as users struggle with the balance between SSD performance and hard drive capacity. The OCZ solution is unique in that it offers both the hard drive and SSD on a single PCIe card, taking up minimal space in a PC. On the hard drive side, OCZ is leveraging a 2.5" 5,400 RPM drive. The SSD contains 25nm MLC NAND and a pair of SandForce SF-2281 processors.

OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid Specs

Usable Capacities (IDEMA) - 100GB SSD+1TB HDD

25nm MLC NAND

PCI-Express Gen. 2 x4

PCIe FullHeight

SandForce 2281 x 2

Hard Drive Rotational Speed - 5,400 RPM

Dataplex Caching Software

167.64 x 98.42 x 22.15 mm (dimensions do not include bracket)

289g

Power Consumption - Idle: 8.1W Active: 10W

MTBF - 600,000 hours

Read unrecoverable bit error rate (UBER) 10e-16 (<1in 1016 bits read)

128-bit & 256-bit AES-compliant

3-Year Warranty

Pricing and Availability

The OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid 1TB comes with a three-year warranty and has an MSRP of $499.99." - via Storage Reivew

Breaking News : Fallen Apple: Steve Jobs resigns

2011-08-25T15:50:00.001+08:00

The tech community tonight experienced its version of an earthquake.

Steve Jobs has resigned as chief executive officer of Apple (AAPL). The company has promoted chief operating officer Tim Cook to the position of CEO and said that Cook will join the company's board of directors. Jobs will become Apple's chairman.

Here is a copy of Jobs' resignation letter:

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple''s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple''s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve

Apple board member Art Levinson, chairman of Genentech, issued the following statement on behalf of the Apple board:

"Steve's extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable technology company. Steve has made countless contributions to Apple's success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple's immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration."

We have no additional details yet on why Jobs is leaving, although the spot assumption is that it's related to the pancreatic cancer for which he received a liver transplant in 2009 (during which time Cook was in charge). The fact that Jobs is taking over as board chairman, rather than resigning that seat too, would seem to indicate that his condition isn't imminently debilitating -- but there also is a strong possibility that the chairmanship is more symbolic than operational.
Apple shares today traded up $2.58 to close at $376.18 per share. As of 6:53pm, it already had lost $22.18 per share, or 5.9% of its value.
In 2008, Fortune took a close look at Jobs' successor Tim Cook, 'The genius behind Steve.'

The most influential promoter of Steve Jobs' indispensability, of course, is Steve Jobs. But another person who is very much with that program is the one executive who has actually filled in for Jobs as CEO. That would be Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer and its interim chief executive for two months in 2004, when Jobs was recovering from cancer surgery.

Icy News:Acronis True Image Home 2012

2011-08-25T14:45:00.000+08:00

"Acronis Inc. is launching Acronis True Image Home 2012, the latest version of its consumer software.

Acronis combines online backup, local backup and file synchronization in one product, not only protecting home PCs but also giving home users access to their digital lives, wherever they are, whenever they want.

Acronis True Image Home 2012 brings together Acronis' disk imaging backup and recovery technology with file synchronization. The software allows home users to sync their files no matter where they are stored - PC, USBs, NAS, as well as in the cloud via Acronis True Image Online. If a change is made in one location, it is automatically updated in others, meaning home users can access their most up-to-date data anywhere, any time. Consumers can also share data securely with their family and friends.

Until now, file synchronization technology has been found in dedicated file sync products but not in disk imaging backup products, which is used to capture an entire PC, including the operating system, applications and files for fast and reliable recovery. Acronis True Image Home 2012 offers all these technologies in one easy-to-use solution.

The file sync is as simple as setting up a folder (akin to My Documents) and placing data in that folder. The information is automatically transferred and available between the different locations that the user wants to access. Home users can also choose to sync their data securely with family and friends with Acronis True Image Home 2012 installed on their PCs and laptops. Synchronization is easy via a home network or over the internet.

"Since 2002, we've been trusted by home users worldwide to protect their most valuable information. We've built a strong user base that provides us with excellent feedback to further enhance our products," explains Jason Donahue, CEO of Acronis. "With the new version, we've thought beyond traditional backup features, to really give people an easier computing experience. People have spent years saving their files to flash drives or emailing themselves the latest version of their documents and it's messy and ineffective. Our latest developments will enable home users to take that extra leap, from hoping you have the latest version, to knowing that you do."

"The product is very simple to install, very fast, responsive and is really easy to use," said beta tester Phil Coats. "I found that the 'Get Started Tutorials' were easy to understand. Logging also gets a big thumbs up."

Other new or improved features
in the product include:

New: Extended support large disks (2TB+)

Improved: Acronis Nonstop Backup now compatible with NAS, plus better optimized network load

Improved: Enhanced NAS support

Improved: Enhanced GUI

Pricing and availability
Acronis True Image Home 2012 is available through select retailers and online. Recommended retail price is €49.95. The Acronis True Image Home 2012 Plus Pack add-on is availableonline and through retailers for €29.95. It enables users to restore the backed up image to dissimilar hardware, regardless of make, model or installed components.

Licensing
Licensing is one perpetual license per machine. Each computer to be synchronized requires a license. Acronis True Image Online license covers up to 5 PCs."" -via storagenewsletter.com

Acronis back up software is a great tool to keep your computer safe and secure. Using this software you can backup your entire computer to your Icy Dock hard drive enclosure. The new software adds some new features and improves on an awesome product. Let us know what software you use to back up your computer to your Icy Dock hard drive enclosure

Icy News: Microsoft Throws Support Behind USB 3.0 With Windows 8

2011-08-23T15:03:00.002+08:00

"Microsoft is incorporating a software stack in its upcoming Windows 8 OS to natively support devices based on the USB 3.0 interconnect, which is in a battle for adoption with Intel's Thunderbolt.

USB 3.0 is the successor to USB 2.0 standard and can transfer data 10 times faster between computers and external peripherals such as cameras and storage devices. Most laptops and desktops today come with USB 2.0 ports and many PC makers are offering USB 3.0 ports as an option. The current Windows 7 OS does not include native support for USB 3.0, but device makers offer drivers to ensure products are compatible with the OS.

The growing support for USB 3.0 and wide usage of USB 2.0 was a compelling reason to improve the USB software stack, said Dennis Flanagan, Microsoft's director of program management for the devices and networking group, in an entry on the company's Building Windows 8 blog.

"By 2015, all new PCs are expected to offer USB 3.0 ports, and over 2 billion new 'SuperSpeed' USB devices will be sold in that year alone," Flanagan wrote.

Microsoft is writing a new software stack and controller for Windows 8 based on the "design principles" of USB 3.0, which will bring plug-and-play support for new devices such as external storage, webcams and keyboards, Flanagan wrote. The company is retaining the existing software stack to support older USB devices.

But there are few USB 3.0 devices available today, so to create the new software stack the company had to simulate and build virtual USB 3.0 hardware, including ports, hubs and devices.

The hardware support for USB 3.0 is also growing. Intel has already said it will integrate USB 3.0 support in chipsets for processors code-named Ivy Bridge, which will reach PCs early next year. AMD has already integrated support for USB 3.0 in its Fusion chipsets, which are already shipping for PCs.

USB 3.0 transfers data at speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second, which is slower than the transfer speed of rival interconnect technology Thunderbolt. Developed by Intel, Thunderbolt can transfer data between host computers and external devices such as displays and storage at up to 10 gigabits per second. Thunderbolt has been viewed as an alternative to USB 3.0, but Intel has the said the technologies are complementary. Apple uses Thunderbolt in its products.

Thunderbolt currently supports the PCI Express and DisplayPort protocols, and the interconnect does not require any OS support beyond existing software stacks for those protocols, an Intel spokesman said in an e-mail.

But Microsoft's backing will aid the fast growth of USB 3.0 and provide higher transfer speeds for consumer devices, said Jim McGregor, research director at In-Stat.

"Thunderbolt will be one of many peripheral options available, just like IEEE1394 and Firewire, but I think USB will be the predominant interface because it is so heavily tied to the largest growth segment of the market, mobile devices, for both interconnectivity and power," McGregor said.

Thunderbolt is based on copper wires, but ultimately will be based on optical technology. That will boost the interconnect's transfer speed and distance, Intel has said.

"[USB 3.0] will still not be as fast as the Thunderbolt optic link, but copper never will be as fast as optics," McGregor said.

Wireless charging could trump both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt, provided it takes off, McGregor said. The transfer speeds may not be as fast, but device makers are showing interest in the technology, he said.

"It may eventually eliminate the need for peripheral connectors on mobile devices and then everyone will look to wireless interfaces," McGregor said.

Other than enthusiast users, drivers aren't something average PC users need to worry about, but native support for USB 3.0 in Windows 8 can't hurt, said Nathan Brookwood [CQ], principal analyst at Insight 64.

"When they are talking about the history of Windows 8, they are going to be talking about the user interface and ... touch," Brookwood said." - via pcworld.com

With Windows 8 supporting USB 3.0, will this boost sales on USB 3.0 devices? Will this native support push Intel's Thunderbolt interface to the side? Let us know what you think Windows 8 support for USB 3.0 will do in the device world.

Icy News: Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile HDD Supports Android

2011-08-19T15:05:00.000+08:00

"Seagate Technology LLC unveiled a new app for Android operated mobile devices that will provide a wireless connection to 500GB of storage to stream up to 300 HD videos.

Introduced in May of this year, GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless storage is a battery-powered external hard drive to wirelessly extend the storage capacity of any Wi-Fi enabled mobile device.

Although previously compatible with Android tablets and phones by using the device's browser, the experience with GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless storage will now be enhanced through the connectivity and added features of the GoFlex Media App for Android.

Devices are wirelessly connected directly to the GoFlex Satellite drive by use of the free GoFlex Media App-available now on Android Market and iTunes for iOS devices-or a web browser. GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless storage is currently available worldwide for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of$199.99 USD..." - via Storage Newsletter

Seagate releasing an app for Android to use with their GoFlex Satellite to access their files is a pretty neat idea. However, is this too late? With the internet being as big as it is, is there is a need for this on android where YouTube and Netflix are available. Let us know what you think!

Icy News: Intel SSD 320 Firmware Update Published

2011-08-18T15:15:00.000+08:00

"UPDATE 8/17/2011: Intel posted the firmware update two weeks early

In late July, we reported on an issue that affected all Intel SSD 320 models which under certain power conditions could render the drives inoperable. Called the "Bad Context 13x Error", this problem caused drives to show as 8MB in capacity and users would lose their ability to read or write from the SSD. Intel has now said that a firmware bug has been identified and updated software to fix this problem will be released in two weeks.

Users who aren't suffering from the problem are still strongly urged to update their SSDs. While regular backups are reccomended, Intel has come out and said that this firmware update will not cause a secure erase of the drive. Given the severity of the problem (not being able to read or write to the drive if affected) if you are a currentl Intel SSD 320 owner, keeping an eye on the firmware release should be a top priority.

SSDs showing symptoms of this problem report a capacity of 8MB and have the serial number field showing the message "BAD_CTX 0000013x"." - via Storage Review

If you are using Intel's 320 model, they have released an update for it to resolve the issue with the power that rendered drives inoperable. A good quick response by Intel as most likely their initial sales may have taken a hit from this. Now that this critical issue is fixed, will you have the confidence to purchase? Let us know!

Icy News: Corsair Adds 60GB and 90GB SSDs to Force 3 and Force GT Lines

2011-08-18T15:14:00.000+08:00

"Corsair has added 60GB and 90GB capacities to their family of Force GT and Force 3 SSDs. The 90GB drives are the first SandForce SF-2200 SATA 6Gb/s SSDs to ship thus far. While they may be small in capacity, these SSDs still offer tremendous speeds, with the 60GB Force GT cranking out 555 MB/s reads.

In terms of specs the 60GB and 90GB Force 3 SSDs look nearly identical to the rest of the Force 3 drives, leveraging SandForce SF-2281 processors and 25nm asynchronous NAND to deliver 550 MB/s read speeds. The 90GB capacity offers and 500 MB/s writes and 85,000 IOPS, where the 60GB turns 490 MB/s writes and 60,000 IOPS.

On the Force GT (Force GT Review) side of the coin, the 60GB and 90GB also leverage SandForce SF-2281 processors, but this time with 25nm synchronous NAND. Both of the new capacities offer 555 MB/s reads; the 90GB drive posts 505MB/s write speeds and 85,000 IOPS, while the 60GB drive 495 MB/s writes and 80,000 IOPS.

The new SSD capacities help open new consumer markets that have been holding back on a SATA 6Gb/s SSD purchase due to budget constraints. The 60GB and 90GB drives are ideal in dual-drive scenarios where the speedy SSD houses the operating system and frequently used programs. All four of the new drives are available now with an MSRP of $159 for the Force Series 3 90GB and $199 for the Force Series GT 90GB." - via Storage Review

Now with the Corsair Force GT released, this is a great addition to the many other SATA III drives that are out there. The read and write speeds are also no slouch leaving almost no room for the SATA III maximum bandwidth. However, is the starting cost of $159 worth the speed? Will you purchase? If so, why? Let us know!

Icy News: Samsung's 6Gbps SSD gets a consumer label, October release date

2011-08-17T15:16:00.000+08:00

“Many SSDs could easily blow away that legacy spinning drive in your notebook, but there's always room for a performance boost when it comes to tech. Announced last week, Samsung's 830-series SSD packs up to 512GB of storage, and full support for SATA's 6Gbps max throughput -- a 100 percent boost over Samsung's previous gen drive. There's only one problem with last week's version: it's only available to OEMs, leaving a DIY upgrade out of the question. Well, today Samsung announced consumer availability for the same drive, letting any Joe Bag O' PC Upgrades pick one up at retail come October. Drives will be available in 64, 128, 256, and 512GB capacities, with pricing details coming at the official launch this fall. Jump past the break for the full PR, should you care to read all about the drive's "precision engineered" brushed metal enclosure, with "deep black" highlights and a "stylish and chic exterior" -- exactly the features you should be looking for in an SSD.”

-via engadget.com

SSDs are being improved on it seems like everyday. Samsung is no exception in the ever improving SSD world. With the improvement on SSDs it seems like they are always trying to make them look better. Samsung's new SSD has a dark brushed metal look. Let us know if it matters to you what your SSD looks like.

Icy News: Windows 8 prerelease launching in coming months

2011-08-16T15:16:00.001+08:00

"Windows 8 is set to hit the prerelease stage over the coming months, according to a blog posted yesterday by Microsoft President Steven Sinofsky.

Though the term prerelease version is a bit vague, Sinofsky is likely referring to the beta of Windows 8 since he said that the company wants to "begin an open dialogue with those of you who will be trying out the prerelease version over the coming months."

Aiming the new blog series, "Building Windows 8," at customers, developers, and users in general, Sinofsky used the post to provide tidbits of information but not much detail yet as he acknowledged that "people express frustration over how little we've communicated so far about Windows 8."

Among other comments, Sinofsky said that "Windows 8 reimagines Windows," however he stressed that the company is committed to supporting Windows 8 on all existing Windows 7 PCs and hardware.

Though the initial blog, "Welcome to Building Windows 8," was short on specifics, Sinofsky promised to reveal more over the next few weeks.

"There is so much packed into Windows 8 and there are so many unique and important lenses through which to view Windows 8, and so we want to be sure to take the time to cover as many of these topics as possible, to build up a shared understanding of why we've taken Windows where we have," he wrote. "So in the next weeks we will just start talking specifics of features, since there is no obvious place to start given the varying perspectives. From fundamentals, to user interface, to hardware support, and more, if something is important to you, we promise we'll get to it in some form or another."

The B8 blog, as Sinofsky referred to it, will be updated on a regular basis as different people from Microsoft share the latest information on the development of the new OS.

"As a team we're all going to participate--many of us will author posts, and all of us will read and take note of your comments on this blog," Sinofsky wrote. "We'll participate in a constructive dialogue with you. We'll also make mistakes and admit it when we do. It is almost certain that something will hit a nerve, with the team or with the community, or both, in the blog posts or in the product, or both."

The new blog series comes at a time when rumors have been flying the past several months over when Windows 8 might debut." - via news.cnet.com

Windows 8 is starting to be a very hot topic in the computer world with the release coming soon. With the new OS coming out what kind of changes would you like to see? Let us know what you think about the OS and if you will be getting the Beta version.

Icy News: 512GB Samsung SSD

2011-08-15T15:17:00.000+08:00

"6Gb SATA, 20nm MLC, in volume production

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, announced today volume production of SSDs that support the Serial ATA Revision 3.0 interface with data transmissions at 6Gb/s. The new PM830 SSDs* are available at up to 512GB densities.

Samsung's new high-speed SSDs are suited for use in high-performance OEM notebooks and tablets. Sample production of the SATA 6Gb/s 512GB SSDs began in May, with volume production initiated earlier this month. The new drives are expected to replace SATA 3Gb/s-based SSDs by year-end.

"Samsung's new line up of advanced SSDs will raise the performance bar to the next level for ultra-slim notebooks and tablets and accelerate growth of the market for high-performance SSDs," said Wanhoon Hong, executive vice president, memory sales & marketing, Device Solutions, Samsung Electronics. "The industry is expected to quickly embrace SATA 6Gb/s-based SSDs, which also will help increase market interest in 256GB and higher densities significantly," he added.

The SATA 6Gb/s SSD shortens system boot-up time to about 10 seconds, while its high-performance allows users to download up to five DVD video files in less than a minute.

The 512GB SSD utilizes Samsung's 20nm class 32Gb MLC NAND memory chip incorporating the toggle DDR interface. A proprietary NAND controller facilitates performance levels that take advantage of the toggle DDR architecture and the SATA 6Gb/s interface. The new SSD doubles the performance of a SATA 3Gb/s drive, with sequential read speeds of 500 MB/s and sequential write speeds of 350MB/s.

The drive also features AES 256-bit encryption algorithm to protect personal or corporate data from unauthorized access.

Samsung's SATA 6Gb/s SSDs are available in 512GB, 256GB and 128GB densities. The new SSD line-up is targeted for use in premium OEM notebooks, and tablets.

According to market research firm IDC, the global outlook for client-side SSDs is expected to grow ten-fold from 11 million units in 2011 to 100 million units in 2015. Moreover, the use of NAND in 256GB SSDs is forecast to more than double from 19 percent of all NAND used in SSDs in 2011 to 42 percent in 2015. Further, demand for 512GB SSDs is expected to grow from a 0.3 percent portion in 2011 to eight percent in 2015, also underscoring the growing interest in higher density SSDs." - via storagenewsletter.com

SSDs are now becoming the standard for data storage. Samsung is now making it a standard in the notebook and tablet market. Do you think that other companies will follow Samsung with their new target customer? Let us know what you think.

Icy News: SandForce First To Pair 24nm Toshiba NAND With Own Controllers

2011-08-12T15:19:00.000+08:00

"At Flash Media Summit 2011, SandForce was the first to show off 24nm Toshiba MLC NAND working with their existing SATA 6.0Gb/s SF-2000 processor. As flash manufacturers continue to shrink existing NAND sizes, having compatibility means more options and ultimately lower prices for buyers.

Toshiba NAND is cropping up in quite a few SandForce SSDs lately, especially high performance models like the new OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G, OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS, and the Patriot Wildfire... all of which use their very fast 3xnm toggle NAND. Needless to say, expect to see more flash options in upcoming SandForce-powered drives, besides the current toggle, synchronous, and asynchronous options already the market." - via Storage Review

Toshiba going with the sandforce controller is interesting, will you be looking into this product by them? What's your reason for switching to a SSD? Let us know!

ICY TIP: Keep your cheap low capacity solid state drive alive with ICY DOCK Xpander Hybrid SSD Adapter

2011-08-12T15:18:00.000+08:00

The performance gain of an SSD over a hard disk drive comes with an increased price and a decreased capacity. This can cause a problem for users that are on a budget who want a low cost or cheap way to upgrade their system. SSDs offer speed and performance far greater than any HDD, but the prices of SSDs are still very expensive especially higher capacity SSDs. When purchasing a higher capacity SSD for the first time or upgrading your current SSD you will pay big bucks. For example, a 128GB SSD would probably cost you about $200-$300 and a 256GB SSD nearly $500. Another down side of buying an expensive high capacity SSDs is after 6-12 months; you may find that the same capacity SSD are selling for less than 50% of the original price that you paid for. And if you already had a SSD, you’ll find that the SSD capacity has never been enough. Buying or upgrading a higher capacity SSD has never been cost efficient…until we developed the Xpander “Hybrid” SSD adapter.

The MB882HX-1SB SSD Xpander is the perfect solution for anyone who can’t afford an expensive SSD or someone already have an SSD that wants to expand their capacity without purchasing an expensive new SSD. The Xpander allows for a cheap, low cost upgrade with the performance boost that rivals the higher end SSDs. The Xpander combines the SSD with regular 3.5” SATA hard drive and automatically creates a “Hybrid” partition and a “Storage” partition. The hybrid partition capacity doubles the SSD capacity that has been used while maintaining similar transfer speed of the SSD. The unused capacity of the 3.5” hard drive goes to the storage partition. Install the OS, intensive software and games to the hybrid partition for highest performance, and other software, games, music and videos to the storage partition.

How it works:

The MB882HX-1SB doubles the SSD capacity while maintaining or increasing the transfer rate of the SSD by taking a spare 3.5" hard disk drive, creating a partition that is of equal size to the SSD, and then coupling the partition and the SSD into a “Hybrid partition” (RAID 0 configuration). The additional space that is left on the 3.5” hard drive after matching the SSD capacity is partitioned as “Storage partition” and can be used for extra storage. RAID 0, otherwise known as data striping, accesses and writes to the two drives in parallel, increasing the combined performance of the two drives because only half of the total amount of data is being written to each drive. The performance gain of a RAID 0 configuration with a solid state disk and hard disk drive can match the performance of the solid state disk alone, and in some cases, depending on the speed of the hard disk drive used, can approach speeds near the performance of the new generation solid state disks. The Xpander can even exceed the SSD in both Widows Boot and Shutdown. The result from real world testing can be found here:

Read the full review: Dreamwarecomputers.com

The MB882HX-1SB SSD Xpander is a perfect solution for solving your low capacity SSD troubles. We all want the speed and performance of a SSD but may not want to spend a lot on expensive high capacity SSDs. The Xpander is perfect weather you are upgrading your current SSD or purchasing a SSD for the first time; the Xpander will save you money. Paired with any 3.5” SATA drive you can have a hybrid solution that will save money but still keep the performance of your SSD as well as the capacity of your 3.5” SATA hard drive. You can save money now while SSDs are still pricey and upgrade later to a higher capacity and faster SSD when the price per gigabyte comes down.

MB882HX-1SB 2.5” SATA SSD Xpander Hybrid Adapter
http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=135

Icy News: Addonics 5-Port Multiplier Connects via eSATA, USB 3.0

2011-08-11T15:20:00.000+08:00

"Addonics Technologies has introduced its HPM-XU hardware port multiplier which can connect up to five SATA devices including hard drives to eSATA or USB 3.0. The device features hardware RAID support including RAID 5. The RAID configuration can be set using dip switches or the included software utility.

The device works in such a way that when five hard drives are connected, they appear as five separate drives.

Operating system support includes all current versions of Windows and Mac OS X 10.4.x plus Linux kernel 2.4. The HPM-XU is available standalone for $99 or as part of the company's RAID Tower Mini for $245. The RAID Tower Mini features a compact design, two fans, a 180W power supply, and supports up to four hard drives." - via Storage Review

Given this new hardware with both eSATA and USB 3.0, Addonics makes a great refresh to USB 3.0 while keeping eSATA with RAID support. Would you upgrade your current system to add this piece of hardware or wait? Let us know what your thoughts are!

Icy News: Hitachi GST Opts for MLC for New Enterprise 6Gb SAS SSDs

2011-08-11T15:19:00.000+08:00

"Until recently, conventional wisdom stated that SLC-based SSDs were the only drives suitable for demanding Tier 0 enterprise applications. That has changed with the introduction of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies' (Hitachi GST) newUltrastar SSD400M MLC SSD family.

As a cost-effective alternative to SLC SSDs, Hitachi GST's enterprise MLC SSDs utilizes Intel's 25nm, highest endurance enterprise-grade, MLC NAND Flash and delivering performance. The result is an enterprise-class MLC SSD that meets the performance, capacity, endurance and reliability demands of today's enterprise and cloud data centers. Targeting enterprise capacity sweet spots, the Ultrastar SSD400M family is available in a 2.5-inch form factor with a 6Gb SAS interface in capacities of 200GB and 400GB.

Not all enterprise MLCs SSDs are created equal. Benefiting from 25nm enterprise-grade MLC NAND Flash combined with endurance-optimized controller technology, the Ultrastar SSD400M 400GB delivers write endurance with 7.3PB lifetime random writes, or 10 full drive writes per day for five years, which satisfies the endurance requirements of most enterprise applications. Hitachi's MLC SSDs also include all of the enterprise features found in the company's Ultrastar SLC SSD family, including end-to-end data protection, error correction and error handling, resulting in the high level of reliability that is critical in enterprise systems." - via Storage Newsletter

Given the change in what cell memory Hitachi is using, this is a surprising step. given the nature of MLC vs SLC wear long term. Since it is known that MLC are less costly, perhaps this is the reason for the change. Now, the important part will be how the controller will handle the read and write without the issues that were seen early with MLC SSDs. Let us know what you think about this!

Icy News: New Standard for Embedded SSDs

2011-08-10T15:20:00.000+08:00

"µSSD specs eliminate connector for integration in embedded devices.
The Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO), the consortium dedicated to sustaining the quality, integrity and dissemination of SATA technology, announced a new standard for embedded SSDs.

The SATA µSSD specification eliminates the module connector from the traditional SATA Interface, enabling developers to produce a single-chip SATA implementation for embedded storage applications.

The µSSD standard offers a high-performance, low-cost, embedded storage solution for mobile computing platforms like ultra-thin laptops. The specification defines a new electrical pin-out that allows SATA to be delivered using a single ball grid array (BGA) package. The BGA package sits directly on the motherboard, supporting the SATA interface without a connecting module. By eliminating the connector the µSSD standard enables the physically smallest SATA implementation to date, making it a solution for embedding storage in small form factor devices.

"As tablets and other small computing devices continue to proliferate in the market, the need for scalable small form factor storage solutions rises exponentially," said Mladen Luksic, SATA-IO president. "µSSD provides a new way to leverage the speed, reliability, and low power requirements of SATA technology in these types of products to enable powerful new computing platforms."

SATA-IO is also developing interoperability tests for µSSD products that will help ensure devices based on the µSSD standard will be compatible with other µSSD-based products. Products based on the µSSD specification are already available from SanDisk Corporation. Samsung and Toshiba have also expressed support for the standard.

The µSSD specification was developed as part of SATA-IO's continued mission to provide low-cost, high performance storage solutions optimized for a variety of device segments. Since its introduction in 2001, SATA technology has evolved to enable storage options for a number of applications beyond traditional hard disk PC storage. SATA is now implemented in applications including solid state and optical drives, embedded mobile devices, consumer electronics products and enterprise storage.

SATA specifications are available for members to download at no cost. Non-members may purchase the specification for a nominal fee.

Industry Support for µSSD
Flash industry leaders are supportive of the µSSD initiative. SanDisk currently utilizes the new specification in its iSSD integrated storage device, the world's smallest, fastest 128GB (SATA 6 G/bs) SSD, and other companies are making plans to follow suit.

"The SATA µSSD standard is a significant industry achievement that brings high-performance SSD storage in a BGA form factor," said Kevin Conley, senior vice president, client storage solutions, SanDisk. "This is enabling OEM designs of new super-thin Ultrabooks and tablets with high SATA performance."

"The µSSD specification will enable embedded storage applications to give designers greater design flexibility," said Scott Nelson, VP Memory Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. "Toshiba is pleased to support the development of this specification, which will help enable the continued evolution of thinner and smaller personal computing devices."" via - storagenewsletter.com

It seems like everyday they are making advances in SSD technology and today being no different. With this advance in embedded SSDs do you think that we will start seeing more of this technology? Let us know what you think and what products will see the real benefits of this technology.

Icy News: Can Seagate's Thin Hard Drive Stave Off Threat of SSDs?

2011-08-09T15:21:00.002+08:00

"This is a Press Release edited by StorageNewsletter.com on Tue, August 9th, 2011

A report from IHS iSuppli

Seagate Technology LLC's introduction of a super-slim HDD could help the HDD industry stave off the incursion of SSDs in the notebook PCs and media tablet markets, according to data from the IHS iSuppli Memory and Storage Service from information and analysis provider IHS.

"Although shipments of SSDs for notebooks will be miniscule compared to HDDs during the next few years, the solid state drives are shaving off points of market share that are critical to maintaining the growth of the hard drive business," said Fang Zhang, analyst, storage systems, for IHS. "Furthermore, SSDs are universally employed in media tablets, which are eating into the sales of notebook and netbook PCs. Seagate's new Momentus Thin HDD represents an attempt by the hard drive industry to answer the challenge of SSDs in notebooks-and even in media tablets-by undercutting the cost of solid-state drives while providing higher densities."

SSD shipments in notebooks will rise to 16.8 million units in 2015, up from 4.7 million in 2010, as presented in the figure below. This will represent only a single-digit percentage of the notebook storage market compared to HDDs through the year 2015.However, this small percentage is impacting the growth of the notebook HDD market.

The notebook HDD market set to expand at a 9.7 percent CAGR from 2010 to 2015. The combined market for HDDs and SDDs will rise at a CAGR of 10.2 percent. This indicates the solid-state drives will shave off half a percentage point of growth from the notebook HDD market during the five year period.

The rising sales of media tablets could have an even bigger impact on notebook HDD sales. Media tablets, which employ flash memory for storage, are expected to have a negative impact on sales of notebook PCs, and thus the HDDs used in them.

Seagate's Momentus Thin HDD could find acceptance in netbook and notebook computers, preventing SSDs from making further inroads. However, the near term opportunity for these drives in tablets is limited. HDD-based models are expected to account for 2 percent or less of the total tablet market in 2012, IHS predicts.

A Momentus event for storage
Seagate in June announced its Momentus Thin HDD, a 2.5-inch drive that is only 7 millimeters thick. The Momentus is set to be available in September. The HDD has capacities ranging from 160GB to 320GB, with speeds of 7,200RPM and 5,400RPM, and 16MB of cache.

The thin form factor makes the Momentus suitable for mobile platforms.

However, the Momentus may really set itself apart from SSDs in terms of cost and capacity.

Seagate said the Momentus Thin HDDs are being used in what it called the world's first handheld tablet computers with hard drives: the G9 8- and 10-inch tablets from Archos. The manufacturers' suggested retail prices for the Archos 80 G9 and Archos 101 GB tablets are $279 and $349. Seagate said that was a significantly lower price than competitive flash-based tablets, which cost between $349 to $829, with densities from 16GB to 64GB.

A tablet using the Momentus Thin HDD can have 10 times the storage capacity of a flash-based tablet. Momentus Thin HDD-based tablets also can be significantly lighter than HDD-based netbooks due to the reduction of the 2.5-inch drive size.

HDD disadvantages
The disadvantages of HDD-based tablets include a potentially shorter battery life, a longer boost time and a relatively heavy weight compared to flash-based tablets. These drawbacks may serve as a disincentive to some tablet users who require speed and mobility." - via storagenewsletter.com

Momentus drives have been very popular in the past due to the price per gigabyte and the performance of the drives. Still, the SSD out does the performance of these drives. Do you think that the thinner Momentus drives will boost their sales and surpass the SSD? Or will they still be the second choice in drives under the SSD? Let us know what your thoughts are.

MB982SPR-2S review - posted by hitechlegion.com

2011-08-09T15:21:00.001+08:00

ther than “My computer is too slow” one of the most common complaints I hear is “I need more storage”, which is usually followed by “Maybe I should get an SSD”. My answer to these questions are “what do you want storage or speed?” The average consumer does not realize that if you’re on a budget the cost to get both storage and speed out of an SSD is probably more than they are willing to spend......read the full review

Icy News: Patriot Memory Pyro 6Gb SATA SSD

2011-08-08T15:24:00.000+08:00

"With SandForce SF-2281 processor, 60GB to 240GB

Patriot Memory LLC expanded its new line up of SATA III solid-state drives with the launch of its Pyro line powered by SandForce's new SF-2281 SSD processor.

The Patriot Memory Pyro series deliver enterprise-like performance to consumer desktops and notebooks.

It utilizes the SandForce SF-2281 processor enabling it to eclipse previous mid-tier SSD performance scores with up to 550MB/s sequential read and up to 515MB/s sequential write speeds provided through a SATA 6.0 Gb/s interface.

The Pyro series will feature a 2.5-inch form factor for compatibility with notebooks and select desktops and will ship with the latest 3.1.9 firmware.

"The Patriot Memory Pyro will continue to expand on what consumers can expect out of performance class solid state drives," says William Lai, Patriot Memory's Product Manager. "With near enterprise level performance by utilizing the new SandForce SF-2281, coupled with Patriot Memory's reputation; Pyro will deliver unmatched price per performance.""

Patriot Pyro series SSDs:
60GB, 120GB, & 240GB capacities
SandForce SF-2281 SSD processor
SATA 6.0 Gbps interface
Up to 550MB/s sequential read speeds
Up to 515MB/s sequential write speeds
Up to 85K 4K random write IOPS
TRIM Support

-via storagenewsletter.com

Our friends over at Patriot Memory always strive to make the best performing products at unmatched prices. The new Pyro 6Gb SSD is no different, offering high performance at a price that is not out of reach for any power user. Patriots new SSD is an excellent way to have the performance of a SATA 6.0 Gbps interface while not breaking the bank. Let us know how you feel about Patriots new SSD and if you will be buying one.

ICY DOCK Summer 2011 Sponsored Contests

2011-08-08T15:22:00.000+08:00

ICY DOCK has made this summer that much better by teaming up to have two amazing contests with some of our newest and hot selling products!

First up is the Icy Dock/Storage Review contest to find the user with the slowest and fastest hard drives! Each category will have prizes of a MB881U3-1SA & MB981U3-1SA and MB982SP-1S & MB882SP-1S-1B, with two winners for both competitions, respectively. Check out below for more information! This contest ends on August 12th, so hurry!

ICYDOCK/STORAGEREVIEW

Second up is the Icy Dock/Hitechlegion contest that will go on until August 31st! They will be giving away one item per week, with different requirements and prize, so be sure to always check back for the best chance to win!

ICYDOCK/HITECHLEGION

Have fun with each contest!

Icy News: HighPoint Releases New USB 3.0 Card Supporting 20GB/s

2011-08-05T15:25:00.000+08:00

"Are you looking for a relatively inexpensive way to upgrade your slightly outdated Windows or Linux PC so you can use the latest generation of USB peripherals? HighPoint Technologies is hoping you are because they've begun shipping a 4-port USB 3.0 adapter they're calling the RocketU 1144A. With a list price of $89.00, the PCIe 2.0 x4 adapter is capable of 5GB/s of throughput on each of its ports.
The HighPoint RocketU 1144A is aimed at high-performance desktops and workstations, with a strong emphasis on fast transfer speeds to make the most use out of newer USB3 external SSDs. The PCIe x4 slot also allows this card to support up to 20Gb/s of total bandwidth simultaneously." - via Storage Review
This seems to be a very good solution for extending the life of a computer! With use of 4 USB 3.0 ports, slow transfer rate with USB 2.0 is a thing of the past. Will you be buying this? Let us know!

Find more details on Highpoint's website of the RocketU 1144A!

Icy News: Toshiba Also at 1TB for 2.5-Inch HDD 9.5mm High

2011-08-05T15:24:00.000+08:00

"Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. announced its first 2.5-inch HDDs featuring capacity up to 1TB using 500GB/platter technology in the industry-standard 9.5mm high form factor.

With an areal density of 744Gb/in², Toshiba has increased the quantity of data stored per square inch by over 37 percent compared to prior 2.5-inch models, enabling a boost in data transfer speed.

Available in capacities ranging from 1TB to 250GB, the MQ01ABD series provides the capacity, performance, and power efficiency necessary for data-intensive and energy-sensitive mainstream storage applications.

The MQ01ABD drives are for high-end notebook and desktop PCs, mobile workstations, gaming consoles, DVR set-top boxes, external storage solutions, and other applications requiring capacity and cost-effective storage. Toshiba's MQ01ABD series HDDs have been engineered for energy efficiency - the series HDDs consume 0.55watts during idle mode. The MQ01ABD drives also offer improved acoustic performance, emitting a maximum of 19dB at idle and 24dB during seek operations. This combination of areal density, power utilization, and acoustic performance enables PC and consumer electronics makers to build differentiated systems based on capacity, performance, heat dissipation, and power efficiency." - Via Storagenewsletter

We talked about the release of Western Digital 1TB that is 9.5mm in height, Toshiba is now following suit with their own 9.5mm SATA 1TB hard drive. Will you be getting these drives when they come out? Which one will you buy? Let us know!

MB882HX-1SB review - posted by dreamwarecomputers.com

2011-08-04T15:25:00.000+08:00

The biggest reason we're moving to SSD's, among many others, is the performance gain. They offer a largely noticeable performance gain over any mechanical hard drive and once you're used to it, using a computer with a hard drive will be like racing a tortoise. The only major downside to SSD's right now is their limited storage capacity over a regular Hard Drive. Most SSD's range from 40-120GB - with the larger capacity drives often packing quite price tag. What if you could buy an SSD and through using a special device and your existing hard drive end up with twice the capacity of that drive......read the full review

ICY TIP: Transfer or clone the data from an IDE (PATA) hard drive to a SATA SSD / HDD with MB881U3-1SA USB 3.0 HDD adapter

2011-08-03T15:26:00.001+08:00

If you have built, repaired, or owned computers before 2009, then you probably have data stored on a few IDE interface hard drives. Since 2009, SATA has replaced IDE in most consumer desktop and laptop computers and as a result, IDE interfaces are not as common as they used to be. Some motherboard manufacturers have dropped support the interface altogether, using only SATA I, SATA II or SATA III interfaces. How then do you transfer or access your data, operating system, or applications from those old IDE drives? Icy Dock has the perfect solution: The MB881U3-1SA SATA/IDE USB 3.0 Pro Adapter with Docking Stand.

The MB881U3-1SA hard drive adapter is a user friendly, tool-less, multi-interface hard drive adapter that is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. The adapter utilizes a USB 3.0 connection (backward compatible with USB 2.0) to transfer data at up to 5 Gbps for both IDE and SATA hard drives. The MB881U3-1SA is compatible with newer 2.5” and 3.5” SATA hard drives / SSD, as well as older 2.5” and 3.5” IDE hard drives.

The MB881U3-1SA makes accessing the data on your IDE disk simple at blazing fast USB 3.0 speeds. Typically, an IDE drive has a substantially lower capacity than its SATA counterpart, and in most cases, a user’s data is spread out among multiple IDE disks because of their limited capacity, making it difficult to find which disk carries the wanted data. With the MB881U3-1SA JBOD function, you can easily combine the data on multiple IDE disks onto a single SATA disk by transferring the data off each IDE disk at a time, and swapping out the IDE disks after the transfer has finished. The MB881U3-1SA allows for direct data transfer between an IDE drive and a SATA drive with a single adapter, eliminating additional step of copying the data onto an internal hard drive before transferring it over to the new drive, simplifying the combination of multiple disks into a quick and easy process.

Transferring data from an IDE drive to a SATA drive is a two-step process. First plug both the IDE drive and the SATA drive into their respective slots on the adapter and both drives will be accessible by the computer. Second, drag the contents of the IDE drive and drop it into the SATA drive. Repeat this process for any additional IDE drives that you have until all the contents of each IDE drive is stored on the SATA drive, or when the SATA drive reaches capacity (in which case, a hard drive upgrade is necessary). The SATA hard drive now has the entire contents of each IDE drive, and the IDE drives may act as a back up of your data. The process can also be executed in reverse, making backups of the larger capacity SATA drive by spanning the data across multiple IDE drives. Just make sure the content you’re copying is less than the capacity of the IDE drive. You can also make backups of the data if the data size is less than the capacity of both hard drives.

The MB881U3-1SA is also useful when replacing or upgrading the OS hard drives. If the upgraded hard drive uses a SATA interface, you can use the adapter to transfers the entire contents of your IDE drive over to your new SATA drive by using the cloning software such as Acronis True Image and Symantec Norton Ghost. This makes an exact copy of all of the data onto the new drive, keeping all applications and operating systems intact.

Aside from backing up or transferring data, the MB881U3-1SA can also be used as a permanent dock. With the included metal stand, the adapter can be used as an open vertical external enclosure for SATA hard drives. The stand props the adapter vertical to save space and improve airflow. The adapter allows older motherboards that do not have SATA support to utilize SATA hard drives through the USB 3.0 port. Alternatively, this adapter also allows newer motherboards that do not have IDE support to utilize older IDE hard drives through the USB 3.0 port.

The MB881U3-1SA is a versatile tool with performance that exceeds the competition. It is a useful addition for any computer system.

MB881U3-1SA 2.5” & 3.5” SATA & IDE USB 3.0 HDD Adapter with Docking Stand

http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=130

Icy News: OCZ's Z-Drive R4 PCIe SSD offers 2,800MB/sec, 500,000 IOPS, plenty of thrills

2011-08-02T15:27:00.000+08:00

"Hard to believe that we spotted OCZ Technology's original Z-Drive at CeBIT 2009. Just over two full years have passed, and already we've seen the 600MB/sec claims offered on that fellow eclipsed by a fewsuccessors. Today, the latest in the line is making its debut, with the Z-Drive R4 offering 2,800MB/sec and over 500,000 IOPS with a single SuperScale controller; step up to a dualie, and you'll see 5,600MB/sec transfer rates coupled with 1.2 million input-output operations per second. Not surprisingly, this guy's aimed squarely at enterprise users -- folks who can genuinely take advantage of the speed, and are willing to pay the unpublished rates (yeah, we asked!) that go along with it. It's retaining the PCIe-based form factor, and will be shipped in two standard configurations: a half height version designed for space constrained 1U servers and multi-node rackmount servers, and a full height version. Each of those will be made available with SLC / MLC NAND flash memory, and as with all of OCZ's enterprise kit, customer-specific configurations and functionality are available upon request. Full release is after the break, big spender." via engadget.com

Z-Drives have been out for some time now and every new model gets faster and faster. With the newer models becoming faster the prices goes up with speed. Do you think that Z-Drives will ever be more consumer based as opposed to the current enterprise users? Let us know what you think.

Icy News: Google+ Traffic Falls As Users Spend Less Time on Site

2011-07-29T15:28:00.000+08:00

"After a running start, Google+‘s growth may be slowing down a bit. A report from Experian Hitwise found both traffic and users’ average time on the social network fell last week in the U.S.

Total visits to Google+ declined about 3% to 1.79 million in the U.S. for the week ending July 23 compared to the previous seven days, according to the research company. The site received 1.86 million visits the prior week. Average time on the site was down 10%, from 5 minutes, 50 seconds to 5 minutes, 15 seconds.

Matt Tatham, a rep for Experian Hitwise, was careful not to overplay the findings. “This is not a huge drop,” he says. The company extrapolates its figures from a sample of 10 million US Internet users by partnering with ISPs and from an opt-in panel of about 2.5 million users.

The report comes after Google+’s traffic enjoyed a steady climb since its June 28 debut. Last week, comScore reported that the network hit 20 million unique visitors. Some were so enamored with Google+ that they closed out their Facebook accounts and moved all their activity to the new network." - via Mashable

With Google+ being in the spotlight for a few weeks, it seems to have dropped off due to mainly a lack of features. Of course, the numbers should be taken with a grain of salt because there could be many reasons for this. Let us know what you think!